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) PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS \
I Of \
j SERVICE j
\ THE ARMY of the CUMBERLAND \
\ and \
I) Sherman's Army I)
V From August 17, 1861 to July 20, 1865. V
By S. A. McNeil,
Company F. 31st Ohio Veteran
Volunteer Infantry
PREFACE.
This little book is written at the sug^g^estion of relatives
of the writer and is published without any apology for
whatever it may lack as an up to date publication.
The incidents recorded are those of which the writer had
personal knowledge, excepting where it is otherwise stat-
ed. The rapid transformation of a lad of seventeen to a
seasoned veteran, was largely due to the wise counsel of
the writers father, Andrew McNeil, who was an earnest
christian man and was unflinching in his loyalty to the
Union cause and believed that no sacrifice was too great
if it would aid the proper authorities of our Government
to crush the Southern rebellion and bring the seceding
States back into the Union.
THE AUTHOR
fk
//
PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
Of
ARMY LIFE
The Battle of Stone River, Tennessee
Our first and only experience in the immediate rear of a
largfe army during- a great battle ,was on December 31, 1862
Our brig-ade commanded by Colonel M. B. Walker was
g-uarding- a bridg"e over Stewarts Creek, not far from the
Nashville pike and about midway between that city and
Murfreesboro. General Joe Wheeler s cavelry was doing- all
sorts of mischief in the rear of our main army under Rose-
crans, who had formed his lines the previovs evening-, with
the left resting- on Stone River, and almost within cannon
shot of Murfreesboro, the headquarters of the Commander
of the rebel army. The foregfoing- will explain why we
were hurrying- South toward Murfreesboro on the morning-
December 31, 1863. with many miles between us and the
cedars of Stone River, where at that hour, the right divis-
ion of Rosecrans armj^^ was crumbling- to pieces under a
fierce attack of two divisions of Confederates, who had
g-ained the rear of the Union rig-ht wing-. South of the
little hamlet La Vergne, we came upon Wheelers Cavelry
burning- a wagon train belong-ing- to our army. Our brig-ade
soon drove the confederates from the burning- wag-ons-Van
Homes "Army of the Cumberland" says- "Walkers brig-ade
recaptured eight hundred of our men and the train animals."
1
STONE RIVER
Agfain we started for the front, the sound of the battle
was distinctly heard and we realized that our army was
fig-htingf a great battle to decide the question of our farther
advance toward the Tennessee river and Chattanooga.
As we marched south on the Murfreesboro pike the sound of
battle was more and more distinct and the "thump, thump"
of the artillery seemed to us an accompaniment to the
constant roll of musketry. Thoug-h it was our first exper-
ience in the immediate rear of a great army at the opening-
of a battle, the noise of the battle was not a strang^e sound.
There is always a drifting- away of more or less strag-g"-
lers from a line of troops under fire, but the wreckag^e of
an entire division, which had been swept from the Union
rig-ht that morning-, by an overwhelming- force of confeder-
ates, was a real surprise to us, as we marched with ranks
well closed, in the direction from which came the incessant
roar of artillery and small arms. The soldiers we met
were to a great extent members of one of the best
divisions in Rosecrans army, and the misfortune which
drove them from the field at the opening of the battle
was largely the result of incompetenc}^ or to put it mild,
the gross neglig-ence of officers of hig-h rank.
Many of the severly wounded were helped along" by their
strong-er comrades, and the greater number appeared to
be overcome by the awful disaster of the early morning-,
but some were terror stricken and seemed to think of noth-
ing- except their own personal safety. We offered some
advice to the latter class, and one of my comrades sug-g--
2
STONE RIVER
ested to one of the strag-g^lers, that he oug"ht to stop for
dinner at a sand-pit. But in spite of our "kidding"" if v/e
had expressed our honest opinions, we were not encouragf-
ed. From our own knowledg^e of conditions just then the
tide of battle was against our comrades on the battle line.
IIow is it going" now at the front? was one of the quest-
ions asked the men we met With few exceptions the ex-
hausted soldiers would inform us that the Confederates
were having every thing their own way. One bright boy
with a shattered arm replied as follows, I will quote his re
ply from memory. "They drove our men back to the
Nashville pike this morning, but I'll bet a brass watch
that before Bragg" g"ets through with this job he will
want Rosecrans men to stop killing" rebels." We cheer-
ed the boy who I hope lived to see the end of the rebel-
lon. We had been in active service, at the front more
than a year, and we really thought that ours was a reg-
iment of seasoned veterans, but the anxiety of both, the
officers and soldiers, was perceptible as our column app-
roached the battle field.
In every regiment of soldiers of that war were men and
boys who would indulg-e in card playing. The old g"arae of
"Seven up" and "drawpoker" served to pass away the
time while in camp, and many of the comrades carried a
"deck" in the blouse pocket. During the last two miles
of our march toward Stone River, cards were thrown a-
side as undesirable property, and at one place the Murf ree-
sboro pike was so nearly covered with the little paste-
3
STONE RIVER
boards that one could imag-ine the cards had snowed down.
I have serious doubt about there having been one deck
of cards left in the pocket of a soldier belongfing to the
brigade when we arrived at the front, Kings queens and
spots were at a discount, but the pocket bibles and test-
aments held their own as they have in times of peace
and in times of war for many centuries. When our com-
mand came within view of the battle lines it was afternoon
and to our surprise the confederate attack had spent its
force and from the bank of Stone River on our left, to the
cedars on our right were solid lines of blue with ranks
closed up, waiting for the next move in the great battle
of Stone River.
To me the battle lines--the part of our lines we could see-
were grand, and I never afterward doubted the ability of
that Superb Army of the Cumberland to recover from a
temporary disaster.
Chiekamauga
When the Army of the Cumberland started from the vic-
inity of Winchester, Tenn. on the campaign which resulted
in the battle of Chiekamauga and the capture of Chatta-
nooga, weclimbed a range of mountains to reach the Tenn-
essee river and crossed the river near the mouth of Battle
Creek.
Our division (Brannon's) had no pontoons to bridge the
river and the soldiers built rafts of timber and lumber taken
from a sawmill, and from other buildings near at hand. A
4
CHICAMAUGA
raft would carry one army wagfon or one field gfun. The
motive power was long- poles in ttie hands of soldiers. It
required about as many men and as much time to make
the return trip with no load as it did to take a wag^on or a
company of soldiers to the south side. The water in the
river was at a low stag^e and the artillery horses and train
mules were made to swim where the water was too deep
to wade. Some of the men made canoes and dug-outs
and that was one of the many instances where the intelli-
g-ence and skill of the soldiers of the rank and file accom-
plished wonders. Some of the rafts were marvels of boat
architecture and when properly manag-ed would carry
almost as much stuff as the little ferry boats on southern
streams at that period.
On several occasions during" that war men who had not
been gfraded high in discipline and soldierlyconduct, sprung-
into prominence by showing their skill in some special
manner which broug-ht them to the notice of the command-
ing- officers, and from that time those soldiers appeared to
take greater interest in the prosecution of the war and ev-
idently believed that each individual soldier was an im-
portant cog- in that mag-nificient military machine. "The
army of the Cumberland."
The horses crossed the river without accident, but the
mules would sometimes g-et panicy in the water, and if a
mule g-ot loose from the others in the channel of the river,
he was a g-one donkey; instead of swimming- with the others
to shore he would keep g-oing- in a circle and bray most
5
CHICAMAUGA
pitiously until his nose went under water and his tail ap-
peared above the waves. If he had exerted himself in the
right direction he could have reached shallow water from
where he could have waded to the shore.
The faithful army mule was a factor in the war of the
rebellion, and without him it would have been well nig-h
impossbile to have secured animals to haul the miles of
wagon trains, and later in the war, pack animals to carry
camp equipage and intrenching tools.
While on the subject of "The army mule," which has
been a subject of much ridicule and sarcasm. I will di-
gress from the Chickamauga campaign and give one in-
stance of the strong attachment of the armj'^ teamster,
"mule whacker." for the faithful saddle mule of his team.
Elijah Lister was detailed as assistant teamster at div-
ision headquarters. This was at Savannah Georgia in the
winter of 1864 and 1865, and comrade Lister is authority
for the following. He was assigned as the assistant of a
teamster who drove one of the finest mule teams in the
14th army corps. The six mules were almost perfectly
matched in color — very dark Sorrel or dark tan — the
"wheel" mules were unusually large, the swing team were
not quite so large and the lead team were of ordinary size.
On the Atlanta campaign, and on the "March to the
Sea". I frequently saw that team of six mules and noted
their good condition.
It was up in North Carolina in March 1865, that, both
teamsters were out on a foraging tour. They had gone
6
\
CHICKAMAUGA"— On the South side of Tennessee,
a few miles from where the division was in camp for that
afternoon. Lister was riding" one of the lead team and
his companion was on his faithful saddle mule, ''Jennie."
The boys had some bacon and some North Carolina beans
and were riding- back to the road on which the wag^on train
was "parked." when a squad of Wade Hampton's cavelry
took the boys and mules under their charg^e. Lister and
his companion were ordered to dismount and a rebel soldier
was about to lead the mules away when the head team-
ster put his arms around the neck of his saddle mule and
weeping- most piteously said, "Oh! Jennie, my faithful
friend, g"ood-bye." The animalplaced her nostrils ag"ainst
his shoulder as thoug"h she really understood the sad part-
f rom her kind master. The war soon closed and both team-
sters lived to g^et home.
Oa the South Side of Tennessee
It was the peach season when we started on the march
up the valley and across the mountain rang-es into the
Chickamaug-a valley.
While crossing- Lookout Mountain, some twenty miles
south of Chatanoog"a, a comrade called attention to a de-
lapidated cabin not far from the mountain road on which
we were marching-. On investig-ation, we found a family
of poor whites in a destitute condition. About that time
the column halted and the shanty was surrounded by the
first Yankees those wretched people had ever seen.
7
ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF TENNESSEE
Without any remarks, commands or sugfgestions as
to what should be done in the case, each of us contri-
buted from the limited supply of food in our haversacks
until there was a pile of hardtack, pork, beans and g-enuine
Yankee coffee (ungfround) on the floor of that hovel suff-
icent to feed the family for several days.
The sig-ht of that poverty stricken family touched a
place in the heart of every soldier there. It was a mute
appeal, such as will always bring" response from those who
are broug"ht face to face with human misery.
Before the next full rations were issued to our brig^ade
the battle of Chickamaug^a had been fought and a number
of the boys who had shared their scanty rations with the
occupants of the mountain cabin, were left on the battle-
field, dead, and doubtless the Confederate soldiers in g'oing-
over the field, wondered why those boys had been carry-
ing" empty haversacks.
Chickamaaga First Day
On Friday nig"ht Sept. 18, 1863 Brannons division of the
14th army corps, marched all night passing" Crawfish
Springs, Lee and Gordon's mill and the Dyer farm. Early
in the morning of the 19th we halted at the roadside, on
what I have since learned was the McDaniel farm and near
the north line of the present Chickamauga National Park.
Before we g"ot fires started to make coffee, the brig-ade
moved east of the Lafayette road, some distance and we
concluded that Colonel Connell our brigfade commander was
8
CHICKAMAUGA
uncertain about where he should move his command We
heard f ireing" east or southeast in our front.
The 31st Ohio was taken from the brig-ade and we mov-
ed in the direction of the fireing-; we piled our knapsacks
by companies, leaving" one man of each company to g^uard
them.
We moved forward some distance and formed on the left
of the 10th Kentucky, which was the left regiment of
Croxton's brig-ade, which had really opened the battle an
hour previous, and had retired a short distance for a fresh
supply of ammunition. The woods in our front was full
of rebel troops and they were driving- Starkweathers bri-
gade back toward our line.
On they came with a howling- mob of Confederates at
their heels. The horses belong-ing to the Fourth Indiana
battery and Loomis' battery, dashed wildly throug-h the
woods. The guns of these two batteries had fallen into
the hands of the Confederates who had fiercely attacked
Starkweather before his lines were properly formed. About
this time I noticed that the faces of the comrades on my
right and left were somewhat paler than usual; doubtless
if I could have had one glance in a mirror just then, the ab-
sence of youthful bloom on my own face would have sur-
prised me. An Officer came running- back, he was thor-
oughly demoralized. A comrade near me brought his g-un
down and threatened to punch him if he did not halt and
try to reform his men who were running over us.
The officer pushed aside the gun and went over us like a
9
CHICKAMAUGA
jack rabbit running- from a greyhound.
We had been in active service about two years and had
been under lire many times, but it was a most trying- exper-
ience to lay flat in the woods, southeast of the Kelly field,
while a disorganized mass of our own soldiers went pell-
mell over us, with an irreg-ular line of Confederates shoot-
and yelling- at their heels.
The men in g-ray halted at a respectful distance in our
front. The last bunch of our men had passed over to the
rear, when at a signal our line raised up and poured a
volley into the line of Confederates, which scattered those
"Johnnies" and sent them back in the direction of Jay's
Mill, with our line close at their heels. "We pushed them
southeast past the 4th Indiana Battery which they had
taken from Starkweather within the hour previous to the
time we got into the fig-ht.
A detail of men under Capt. Bill Free hauled the gfuns
and cassions back in the direction of Kelly's field; not a
sound horse of the entire battery was within sight.
The 31st reformed its line of battle, moved to the rigfht
and joined again the left of the 10th Ky. who g-reeted us
with, "bully for the "31st" Ohio." Here we checked an-
other charge of the enemy and followed them to a point
within g-unshot of Jays Mill. — That position is marked by
a marble tablet which stands north of Jays Mill and Broth-
er ton road —
While at that advanced position a heavy force of the
Confederates came up in our front and reached beyond
10
CHICKAMAUGA
our left. The Johnnies begfan to shoot down our line from
left to rig-ht and we were ordered to retire slowly; while
the enemy followed with their boasted rebel yell. It was
here that the men of the rank and file displayed the splen-
ded qualities of the American Soldier. In our efforts to
delay the advancing- lines of grey, I recall the fact that
every boy in that retreating- line of blue was a hero, Four
or five hours of close work had fanned the timid fellows
out of the line, and they were drifting" somewhere in the
rear. We loaded our Spring-fields as we walked back,
then turning- about fired into the faces of our foes, I vent-
ure to say that most of our shots knocked the dust out of
some part of a g-rey uniform. In spite of their long-er line
which overlaped our left, we made that retreat of ours an
expensive advance for Brag-g-s men. While loading- for an-
other shot at the Johnnies we almost bumped up ag-ainst a
line of our troops who had been sent in to take charg-e of
the fellows who were crowding us back to the north west
Those fresh troops that relieved our depleted line were
the finest appearing- soldiers I had ever met.
Perhaps the knowledg-e that we had "bit of f more than
than we could chew" and the rapid decrease of weig-ht of
our catridg-e boxes added to the appearances of the line of
fresh troops, who g-ave the johnnies a rattlingf volley of
minie ball, then drove them back in the direction of Jays
Mill. Only those who have been there can fully realize
my condition when the regiment, (what was left of it)
marched back toward the Lafayette road, replenished our
11
CHICKAMAUGA
cartridgfe boxes and stretched out on the ground for a brief
rest. To use the slang of to day, "I was all in."
In the close, hard fig^hting of September; 19 th 1863.
Company P. was roughly handled by the enemy. David
M. Cahill was killed. Lt. J. J. Miller, James Cooley, H.
N. W. Simmons, W, S. Winters and others were wounded.
An enlisted soldier can not see all that occurs in his own
company during- a battle, but I remember some incidents of
that eventiful Saturday. "While the Confederates were
driving one of our brigades over us as we lay in line on the
left of the 10 th Ky, a color bearer stopped at our line
and said "boys if you promise to stand by me and this
flag, I will not go one step farther to the rear." a group of
our boys promised to carry his flag- if he fell in the battle.
The brave Sergeant was not with us very long. An officer
of his regiment came with an order for him to join his own
command which was forming in line a short distance from
where we first met the advancing Confederates.
As was John Jordan, color Sergeant, of the 21 st Wis,
Infantry, captured the next day Sept. 20.1863. and died in
Andersonville Prison. This information was given in a
letter from a member of the 21 st Wis. Inf. to the writer
in 1883.
All of the dead and many of the wounded of both armies
were left on the ground over which we fought. Each side
had held and lost the same ground twice or thrice during
the day. The dying soldier, whether he wore the blue
or the grey, spoke the last message for friends at home
12
CHICKAMAUGA
into the ear of him who would pause and hear it.
The wounded soldiers on that field were all Amercians
James Cooley was on his way to a point where the
ambulance train was loading- up with wounded men. His
arm was shattered and the blood was f lowingf freely, Jim
was indulging" in adjectives addressed to the fellow who
shot him in the arm, whoever that fellow was, when he
heard a pitiful call, "Oh g"ive me a drink of water." Jim
looked at the wounded boy, in g-ray uniform, and said
something- about his own condition, and his canteen being-
almost empty. A moment later Jim stood in front of his
wounded enemy saying-, "Here Johnnie, drink all you
want."
A ball wounded a soldier in the f ing-er, Under the in-
tense excitement of the moment, he ran full speed to the
rear swinging- his wounded hand and yelling- "For Gods
sake, somebody carry me off the battle field."
The most trying- moment of that day was when the con-
federates were forcing- us back, and we were stubbornly
yielding ground.
I had just fired at the advancing- rebels, and faced about
to load when I saw Hartley Dew of Co, A. cap his g-un and
aim at the enemy. I was almost in front of Dew, and
stepped aside to pass him, when a bullet struck him.
Poor Bart fell forward, dead.. The sickening^ sound of
the ball striking- him. and the boy lying- there at my feet,
for an instant, rattled me. and I could hardly resist an im-
pulse to run away from danger.
13
CHICKAMAUGA
I had seen many of the boys shot down that day and
thougfht I was proof agfainst a nervous attack, while under
fire, but the death of Dew made me a coward for the mo-
ment. Nelson P. Swank, helped a wounded comrade back
to the rear, and was returning- to the battle line at the
front when a squad of Johnnies who had become separated
from their own command, took Swank under their care.
One of the Southerners said, "Here Yank, I will carry
your g-un, I know you are tired." Swank was a prisoner
and could almost see the g^ate of a Southern prison pen
opening to admit him into the presence of untold misery
and starvation.
The confederates had taken their prisoner a short dis-
tance, when several guns clicked and Swanks captors
were looking into the barrels of a dozen guns in the hands
of as many determined Yankies, "Johnnie" said Swank
very deliberately, I will carry my own gun, I know you
you are tired." and taking his own gun from the confed-
erate Swank soon found the regiment and got busy with
the rest of us.
The above incident will g*ive the reader some idea of the
mix up of friends and foes where Brannon's division fought
back and forth between the two roads leading to Alexand-
ers bridge, and Reed's bridge. A brigade was sent in
where it was needed. Sometimes a regiment or two was
fighting far out in front, "all by themselves," It was a
fierce deadly struggle, a rough and tumble fight of irregu-
lar lines of battle, successes and reverses. Doubtless
14
CHICKAMAUGA
many of the soldiers of both armies got into a mixup that
day similar to comrade swank's capture and escape.
A bunch of confederates threw down their gfuns, saying-,
"Yanks we surrender." They were told to g-o back to
somebody who had time to guard them.
In the evening- the 31st joined our own brigade, which
had been where the Reeds bridge tower now stands.
We bivouaced near a pile of straw in the Dyer field that
night. Our knapsacks had fallen into the hands of the
enemy about 4 P. M., and doubtless while the writer was
shivering, under a bunch of straw, through the long hours
of the night, some Confederate was snoozing comfortably
under a U. S, blanket.
It is safe to say that the Confederate would improve the
first opportunity to read certain letters he would find in
the knapsack.
In this connection, I will state that early in the follow-
ing- month while, on the outpost picket line in front of
Chattanooga, a member of the 31st. was informed by a
Confederate picket that he (the confederate) had a knap-
sack which formerly belong-ed to a soldier of the 31st Ohio.
The Johnnie was informed that he must be mistaken, be-
cause that, regiment had not carried knapsacks for some
time past.
Cliieamaaga, Second Day
We were roused from our straw beds in the Dyer field
before daybreak Sunday morning, Sept. 20, 1863, and were
placed in position in the timberland along the west side
15
CHICKAMAUGA
of the Poe field, — the position is marked by the 31st Ohio
monument. —
The sun came up in all the splendor of a southern autumn
morning-. Hardly a shot was heard to disturb the peace
and quiet of the Sabbath. A heavy mist or smoke hung-
over the field soon after sunrise, so we could not see our
own skirmishers.
We could hear the wounded begging" for water. One
man seemed to be only a short distance in our front. Jerry
Gladhill of Co. F. with a canteen filled with water volun-
teered to relieve the poor fellow. He had been gone a few
minutes when a shot broke the stillness of the early morn-
ing- and Jerry came out of the smoke running like a deer.
When he had sufficient breath to talk, Jerry related how
he had found the poor fellow who had been there all night
and while in the act of handing the canteen to the wound-
ed soldier, a shot was fired, and a bullet cut one of the
straps by which he held the canteen. "Then" said Jerry,
"I came away."
Stones, rails and logs were piled up to shelter our line
from the musketry of the enemy. We held that line against
every charge of the enemy until about noon when our pos-
ition was attacked from the rear by a confederate force
passing through a gap left by the withdrawal of two bri-
g:ades of Wood's division, on the right of our brigade.
Lieutenant J. J. Miller gave the order to our company
to retire from that position.
A detachment of the regiment rallied on Snodgrass
16
CHICKAMAUGA
Ridgre, where a marker now stands, and fought till night
on the line where our beloved commander General, Geo.
H. Thomas, earned and won the title, "The Rock of Chick-
amauga." After we left the Poe field the writer was
with another detatchment of the 31st which had the reg-
imental flag and was commanded by Lt. Col. Lister.
Many writers of the battles of the Civil war have imp-
ressed the idea that the second days fighting at Chick-
amauga was the gigantic struggle of the two days battle.
This is true so far as it relates to that part of the army
which beat back the enemy on Sunday morning, when
Bragg was determined to crush the left of our army, and it
is especially true concerning General Thomas and his men
in holding the line on Snodgrass Ridge, against the dete-
rmined and repeated attempts of five times their number
of Confederates to carry the position. There is nothing in
the annals of the Civil war that shows greater courage, and
heroism, than the defense of Snodgrass Ridge by General
Thomas and his soldiers, on the afternoon of Sept. 20, 1863
It is also true that in dramatic features the second days
battle over shadowed the first. But the writer has always
insisted that the war of the rebellion furnished no better
test of the fighting, and staying qualities of the American
soldier, than was shown by the army of the Cumberland
in the first days battle.
There was no choosing of positions for lines of infantry
and field artillery. There was no time for maneuvering
troops or for military tactics. Brigades, and even single
17
CHICKAMAUGA
regfiments, were hurried forward to points where the en-
emy was most aggressive. It was an all days fight by
the enlisted men. Almost every available regiment in
Rosecrans army was heavily engaged, some place along the
line, in Saturdays battle. The battle of Sunday was begun
on positions selected by an army Commander and his sub-
ordinate generals, and the entire right wing of the army
of the Cumberland was swept from the battlefield, as the
result of a mistaken order issued by the commander of the
army, and which was obeyed too promptly by a subordin-
ate officer commanding a division.
Since the close of the Civil war the sentiment prevails,
even in the North, that Chickamauga was a Confederate
victory. The only possible ground for such conclusion is
the fact of the enemy having held the battlefield for two
months after the battle.
The battle having been fought along the Chickamauga,
ten miles South of Chattanooga, was an accident. General
Rosecrans compelled the Confederate commander, Bragg,
to evacuate the city of Chattanooga without a battle.
Bragg retreated South until Longstreet, with 25,000 men
from Lee's army, was within supporting distance, when
Bragg attempted to place his army between Rosecrans,
and Chattanooga. Bragg was making good progress when
Brannon's division struck the confederate infantry Satur-
day morning and brought on the battle.
More than two thirds of the soldiers of Roseceans armj'-
never saw Chattanooga, which was the objective point of
18
EXCHANGE OF WOUNDED
the campaigfn, until after the battle of Chickamaugfa was
fougflit. To sum up the results; the battle was fougfht for
the possession of Chattanoog-a — the gfateway to the inter-
ior of the South — the loss of w hich was disastrous to the
southern cause. The union army held Chattanoogfa and it
was never afterward in the possession of the Confederates,
but to them it was lost forever. And Chattanoog"a became
the base of supplies for Shermans army on the Atlantia
campaigfn, and later on, to supply the army for the March
to the Sea,
Exchange of Wounded
A few days after the battle of Chickamaugfa, we were
firmly intrenched and did not fear the result of an assault
by the enemy, investing- Chattanoogfa. An exchange of
wounded Confederates within our lines, for an equal num-
ber of our own wounded comrades left within the enemy's
lines was arrang^ed for. About the. 30th of September a
long train of ambulances filled with wounded Confederates
passed outside of our intrenchments, near the right of our
brig-ade. Late in the afternoon the ambulance train return-
ed to Chattanoog-a. with our wounded, who had been left
within the enemys line about ten days before.
Hundreds of our soldiers lined up along- the Rossville
road to g-reet our wounded comrades as they came inside
of the Union lines.
Although they had been prisoners less than two weeks,
it was a joj'^ful home-coming- to the boys in the ambulance
19
AN ENTERTAINMENT
train. Those who were able to make any demonstration
were almost overcome when they saw the line's of rifle
pits with the regfimental flag's waving" here and there, and
the lines of soldiers in blue uniforms. One of the wound-
ed soldiers exclaimed. ''Why, There is the Old flag" sure
enough." another said "Thank God we are home." and
"you boys look mig"hty g"ood to me."
To them, rebel flags and gray uniforms were associated
with hung"er, misery, suffering" and death. But the very
sight of the men in blue with the Stars and and Stripes
waving above them, meant better care, something" g"ood to
eat and letters from home.
An Entertainment
One Sunday there was a crowd of soldiers g"athered at
the headquarters of Van Derveer,s brigade.
It had been announced that Prof. Murdock of Cincinnati
would entertain the soldiers of our division for an hour.
Mr. Murdock was a fine elocutionest and was roundly ap-
plauded by the soldiers. A glee club belonging to the 35th
Ohio sung patriotic songs. The Confederates had some
heavy guns on the point of Lookout mountain. When an
unusual g"athering of soldiers were seen in camp in Chat-
tanoog"a, this battery on the mountain would send their
huge shells in that direction. A g"entleman from Ohio —
I cannot recall his name — was delivering a speech on the
progress of the war. I remember he spoke highly of our
record in the war, and spoke of General Thomas as the
20
CHATTANOOGA RATIONS
"Rock of Chickamaug-a." Near the close of his speech he
declared that within a few weeks, a battle would be foug-ht
on the heig^hts around Chattanoogfa, that would have a
grreater effect in bringfing- the war to a close, than any bat-
tle fougfht prior to that time. He was going- along- nicely
when a puff of smoke shot out from the point of the
mountain, more than 1000 feet above us and more than
one mile away. The report of the g-un seemed to shake
the g-round, and a largfe shell burst in the air before it
reached us. The speaker winced and looked anxiously in
the direction of the mountain, then closed his speech.
We smiled and trudg-ed back to our part of the line. That
shell knocked the oratory out of the g-entleman from Ohio.
Chattanooga Rations
Prom Sept. 21st to Nov. 1st 1S63, the army at Chattan-
oog-a was hung-ry all the time. The enemy had possession
of our short route to Bridg-eport, making- it necessary to
haul our rations over the mountain roads which were in
such bad condition that the half starved train animals
could not haul more than half of an ordinary load.
The only square meal enjoyed by our mess in that time
mentioned, was secured througfh a business transaction, of
which mv comrade and bunkmate A. I. Hig-g-ins was the
promoter. Higgins was busy for several days with the
men who had the care of the officers horses. He finally
secured ten ears of corn, which one "Hosier" had saved,
one ear at a time, by cutting- off that amount from the
21
NIGHT ATTACK AT CHATTANOOGA
reg^ular rations allowed for the horses. The consideration
for the ten ears of corn was a pound plugf of tobacco, which
had been captured by our forces when Chattanoog^a was
taken from the enemy, and distributed among the men.
The corn was shelled and it made a big" mess pan full
of old fashioned lye hominy.
We got away with that hominy at supper, and during the
evening' told stories and boasted of having- had one square
meal since our arrival in Chattanooga.
I expected a good nights rest and sought my bed of rough
boards, with a gum poncho for a mattress and a single
blanket for a covering; but there was no sleep for me that
night. My entire system was in a g"reat commotion and
I would not have given five cents a bushel for all the
hominy in Tennesee.
Night Attack At Chattanooga
When one attempts to write of events which occurred
more than forty years ago, the mind becomes active on
that special subject. I now recall one amusing incident
during" a night attack of the enemy. We were busy
strengthening our works during the week following" the
battle of Chickamauga, and Braggs men were pushing-
their lines up close to ours, and the Johnnies were boast-
ing- that they could take the town, in spite of our fortifi-
cations.
A regiment on our left had found some telegraph wire
which they fastened to trees and stumps, about one hund-
22
OHIO SOLDIERS COULD VOTE,
red yards in front of their rifle-pits. The wire was placed
about six inches from the g^round and was drawn tight.
That nig-ht our pickets were driven back to our main line
of works, with the confederates close after them. When
our pickets were safely within our line of works the order
was given to open fire on the enemy.
When the fireingf ceased we heard a few Johnnies wrest-
ling with the wire in front of the troops on our left. Every
time a Johnnie stumbled over the wire, the sound would
locate the victim, who would get a few shots before he
could escape from the mysterious thing which was throw-
ing him down. Doubtless those fellows wondered what
sort of a contrivance the Yankees had placed out there in
front of the breastv/orks.
Ohio Soldiers Could Vote
Among the states that passed a law giving their soldiers
in the field the right to vote, was the Buckeye State. The
evening before the day on which the Ohio election was
held, the 31 st was sent to relieve the 17 th Ohio, on the
picket line. By an agreement entered into by the Yanks
and Johnnies, on our part of the line, (Turchins brigade)
there was no picket firing during the hours of daylight,
unless by order of the proper officers, and if such an order
should be given, a certain signal was agreed upon. Hence
it was a a daily occurrence for the blue and the grey to
discuss the issues of the war and exchange courtesies on
the picket line, or on the skirmish line, in front of Chat-
THE YOUNG REBEL
tanoogfa. C. L. Vallandigfham was the Democrat — copper
head — candidate for Govenor of Ohio, and John Broug-h was
the Republican-- Union — candidate. On the morningf of elec-
tion day the 82nd Indiana of our brig"ade came out and took
the place of the 31st. on the skirmish line. As we were
preparing" to return to our camp the boys in gray inquired
about the new rule of changing" the pickets in the morning,
instead of in the evening" as formerly. We informed them
that Ohio troops voted for state officers that day, I reck-
on you all will vote for Vallandigham." Said one Johnnie.
Another fellow asked , "Got any copperheads in your
regiment. Yank,?-' "Not a one,"we replied. "Well" he
continued, "We hear that Indiana is solid for Valland-
igham." Both sides laug"hed, and as we marched away the
same fellow shouted. "Say Yanks what are you all g"oing"
to do about them copperheads up North"?
The confederate soldiers seemed to be well posted as to
political conditions in the North.
The Young Rebel
On the 26th or 27th day of October 1863, Hazen's and
Turchins brigades, by a well executed movement, captured
Browns Perry; the possession of that crossing of the Ten-
nesse river enabled General Thomas to connect with Hook-
er who was bringing" the 11th & 12th corps, from Bridge-
port.
It was hardly daybreak when we crossed the river in
pontoon boats, which had been floated down the river
24
THE YOUNG REBEL
during" the nig-ht. The enemy's outposts were taken by-
surprise and climbed the hills on the south side of a ravine
leading- from the river to the valley, about eig-hty rods
west. The enemy fired into our ranks from the hills
which appeared to be thickly populated by confederates,
and their bullets sounded "powerful wicked", as one of our
men put it.
The hills were soon cleaned of the enemy excepting a
sing-le confederate who kept up the shooting", g^iving a
rebel yell after each shot fired. From his voice we thought
he was a very young" soldier, and he was surely a plucky
boy to fire several shots after all of his companions had
left the hill. I never think of Browns Perry without re-
calling" the young confederate who stood his g^round alone,
shooting" and yelling", after his command had ceased fire-
ing" and had left the position.
We fortified and stayed there three days. During" that
time Hooker came into the valley and foug^ht the night
battle at Wauhatchie. In the three days, the only rations
issued to our reg"iment was a small slice of fresh beef to
each man. Oar bill of fare was parched corn for break-
fast, the same for dinner and ditto for supper. Oh ye epi-
cures, and chronic, kickers of nineteen hundred and nine.
I wish you could have three meals such as were served to
one of Turchin's soldiers at Browns ferry in Oct. 1863.
You would then quit your everlasting" grumbling" and your
patient wife could g"et a much needed rest from the old to-
pic, "My mother cooked the best meals I ever sit down to."
25
OQR FLAG— MISSIONARY RIDGE
Our Flag On Lookout mountain
From our position we could see Hookers men fig-hting-,
near the Craven liouse, on the side of Lookout mountain.
Nov, 24th 1863. Once, in the afternoon, a heavy mist hung:
along- the side of the mountain between us and the soldiers
under Hooker, hence the name. "The battle above the
clouds". The morning' of Nov. 25th was clear. About sun-
rise we saw a regfimental flag", the Stars and Stripes,
waving- on the top of old Lookout.
"Our flag- is on Lookout'" was the word passed along- the
line, and the boys cheered and shouted, It was a dramatic
scene. From the foot of Lookout to the Railroad tunnel
under Missionary ridgfe, and from the river, where it pass-
es Chattanooga, to Orchard Knob on the East, were
reg"iments brig"ades, divisions and army corps, numbering-
perhaps fifty thousand soldiers, all cheering- at the sig-ht
of a sing-le flag- waving- away up on the north point of
Lookout mountain, and about 1300 feet above the valley.
Before the close of that day the men who had carried
the Stars and Stripes throug-h the battles of Stone river
and Chickamaug-a had swept Brag-g-s army from Missionary
Ridge and our flag- was waving- over four miles of Confed-
erate rifle-pits.
November 25th 1863 was a g-lorious day in the history
of the army of the Cumberland.
Missionary Ridge
In the battle of Missionary Ridg-e the 31st Ohio was in
26
MISSIONARY RIDGE
Turchins brig-ade, Bairds's division, 14th A. C.
In the afternoon of November 25th, orders were given,
to prepare for business. Canteens were filled, blankets
were folded closely and twisted rope fashion, the ends
tied together making" an oblong hoop, which was thrown
over the head and rested on the shoulder.
D. J. Cheney and the writer swapped work that day, and
Cheney insisted on having" his blanket twisted to the limit
remarking that it might stop a rebel bullet. Strange to
relate a bullet did pass through his blanket, which pre-
vented the ball from g"oing through his body. He recover-
ed from the wound and lived many years after the war.
The signal to advance was six cannon shots fired from a
battery on Orchard Knob, which was to the right of our
brigade as we formed for the assault. It was late in
afternoon when the six shots were fired in quick success-
ion and we moved rapidly toward the ridge sweeping" the
confederate skirmishers and their reserves before us
like chaff before the wind. Their artillery on the
crest of the ridge, five hundred feet above the valley we
were crossing, sent a perfect storm of shot and shell into
our ranks, but the lines of blue kept steadily on until the
rifle-pits at the foot of the ridg"e was in our possession.
I remember we got the impression, somehow, that we were
to stop there, but the fireing" from the crest of the ridge,
above us, was terrific, and as if by impulse, the boys in
the ranks began to climb the west side of the ridge, shout-
ing, "Come on boys." and on we went, without any orders,
27
MISSIONARY RIDGE
so far as I know, excepting- our own.
We were nearly exhausted by the race to the foot of the
ridge, and we made slow progress. About half way up,
we encountered an enfilading- fire from a force of the en-
emy who held a position north of a ravine on our left.
Farther up and to the rig-ht I saw a man waving- a United
States flag-. He was too far away to see his uniform but
I believed, at the time, that he was a confederate, taunt-
ing-ly waving- a captured flag- at our line. While looking-
up at the flag-, a rebel musket ball, evidently fired from
the point to our left, struck me just below the jaw bone
passing- throug-h my neck. Two streams of blood caused
me to believe an artery was opened and that I would soon
bleed to death. The first impulse was to get back down
the ridg-e, as far as possible before I should fall from
the loss of blood. This I did and reached the rifle-pits at
the foot of the ridg-e. A shower of shot and shell was
falling- around me as I lay were I really thoug-ht was my
last resting- place while in the flesh.
An awful thirst came oyer me and in my frantic efforts
to g-et at the canteen strapped under the waist belt, I cut
the canteen strap and g-ot the water to my lips. That
warm water was the best drink I had ever taken, and I
thoug-ht perhaps it was my last. There was no fear of
eternity, which it seemed to me was very near. The
thoug-ht of the possible failure of the assault, and that my
body would be left within the ememy's lines, was worry-
ing- me more than anything- else just at that time.
28
MISSIONARY RIDGE
Under the excitement of the charg-e, I believed victory
was certain, but after that bullet had put me out of the
figfht our defeat seemed almost as certain. Many times
since I have thought it was strangfe how I could gfet the
impression that the artery had been severed and yet I was
livingf and able to walk. After resting- a few minutes I
found that the blood was not flowing" so freely. In the
pocket of my blouse was a silk handkerchief, a present
from mother. By pressing- the soft silk into the wounds
the flow of blood almost ceased. I was the happiest boy
in the army. From where I lay our irreg-ular lines of blue
could be seen as they slowly but persistently moved up
the ridg-e. To the South Wood's and Sheridan's divisions
were moving- up toward the crest. I started back toward
Orchard Knob to find a surg-eon, but became dizzy and
was resting- when a mounted officer came up, making- a few
remarks about strag-g-lers and cowards. I never had much
respect for officers who kept out of a battle for the avow-
ed purpose of stopping- strag-g-lers. My Springrfield rifle
was loaded and bringfing- it to a "ready" told him to g-it.
Doubtless he then saw the blood on my clothes, for he
muttered a sort of an apolog-y and rode away, but not in
the direction from which I had come.
During- one of the frequent halts for a brief rest I saw
the flag's of Turchin go over the works along the crest and
heard the cheers of my comrades. Off to the south other
flags were going over the Confederate works and, ''presto
change".
29
IN THE HOSPITAL
The thunder of the enemys g-uns ceased. A military band
on Orchard Knob struck up. "Our flag- is there" I raised my
hat to those boys of the army of the Cumberland and did
my best to cheer them, but my voice would'nt g^o off.
Within a short time after witnessing the defeat of Braggs
army, I found a surgeon of Woods division, who gave me
a place in one of his ambulances in which I was taken to
Bairds division hospital in Chattanooga.
In The Hospital
In the hurry and excitement, I neglected to get the name
of the surg"eon who ordered one of his drivers to take me
to Bairds division hospital, which was a mile out of his
route. Perhaps it was my youth and the nature of the
wound that appealed to his sympathy.
Dr. Arter, formerly surgeon of the 31st recognized me
and promised early attention, but they were broug-ht in by
scores and it was near midnight before I got any attention-
Many were so severely wounded that I realy thought I
was fortunate in having the use of my hands and feet.
One poor fellow asked the men who carried him in, to
place him in a sitting posture against the wall. He was
deathly pale, and I soon found that it required both hands
to keep his bowels from falling- out through a ghastly
wound in the abdomen. He was still there when I finally
went to sleep. I was awake at day-break. The room
was crowded full with the wounded, but the Soldier hold-
ing both hands against his poor battered body, was not
30
ONE INCIDENT— ANTIC'S OF SHOT AND SHELL
there. His dust, no doubt, reposes in the beautiful Nat-
ional Cemetry at Chattanoogfa. After breakfast I went
out toward an alley, back of the building" used for the
hospital, and opened the door of a small out building- and
was about to step inside, when I saw a pile of arms, leg's,
hands, feet, fing^ers and toes, which caused me to shut the
door and hurry on my way.
One incident
On the crest of the ridge, comrade Uriah Cahill helped
a wounded officer from his horse. The officer stated that
he was chief of ordinance on General Grants staff, and re-
quested Cahill and another comrade to assist him to an am-
bulance.
While assisting: the wounded officer, a General, com-
manding a division in the assaulting- column, met the party
and ordered Cahill and his companion to leave the wound-
ed man and join their commands at once. The officer told
the boys that they must obey the order and leave him,
which they were compelled to do, by the orders of a g-ener-
al officer who seemed to lack any feeling of compassion
for those in distress.
Curious Antic's of Shot and Sliell
Amongf the many wounded in the division hospital at
Chattanoog-a, was Cyrus Carter of the 31st. The ball
went through the lower lip and smashed all the lower
teeth on that side, passing out without serious injury to
31
THE ATLANTA CAMPAIGN
the jaw bone.
Duringf the same battle a ball, which had about spent
its force, struck David Mcllroy on the leather shoulder
belt of his cartridgfe box, then bounced into a tin cup
which was fastened on the belt strap of the man next in
line.
In July 1864, while on guard at regfimental headquarters,
Mike Blue was wounded in the wrist by a ball which was
really a "Astray ball," No enemy was within less than
a mile of where Blue was on gfuard, and there was not a
sing^le shot heard at the time, yet he was wounded by a
ball coming" from the direction of the enemy. We were
not superstious. but the affair seemed to be spooky and
uncanny.
The Atlanta Campaign
The story of Shermans Atlanta campaign has been writ-
ten by abler pens than mine, but the scenes witnessed by
the Blue and Gray on the skirmish lines during that cam-
paign will, to a great extent, remain forever as a part of
the unwritten history of the war of the rebellion. The
skirmish pits, were sometimes known as "gopher holes"a
name given them by the western troops, and were of the
greatest importance. When the line of skirmishers were
advanced close to those of the enemy, axes, picks and
shovels were brought up and while some of the men kept
the enemy down , the others were digging pit^, eight or
ten feet long, throwing the dirt outward towards the en-
32
THE ATLANTIC CAMPAIGN
emy. Each pit would hold three or four soldiers and were
made at intervals of a few rods, with the ends turned slightly
to the rear for protection against an enfilading fire of the en-
emy. A twenty-four hour service in a skirmish pit located in
the open country with no shade to protect one from the July
and August sun was an experience not to be forgotten.
The writer remembers such an experience while Sherman
was pounding away at Kenesaw mountain. We were ordered
to keep up a regular fire from the skirmish pits. During the
day I shot away seventy-five rounds and cleaned my gun sev-
eral times. Once during the day the three of us in our pit
ignored the shots from the enemy's skirmishers and tired at a
group of men on the side of Kenesaw who appeared to be
viewing our lines. After several shots had failed to move the
group. John D. Mather declared that 2000 yards was about
the proper distance. Our gun sights were not marked that
high, so we raised our guns to what we supposed was the prop-
er elevation to carry a ball that distance. The group of Con-
federates soon dispersed, but whether our shots was the cause
of it, it is a question which I cannot answer.
About noon the heat was intense, and the canteens were
empty. By running about forty paces to the right, we could
have a safe trip the remainder of the way to the stream where
we filled our canteens. Someliow, I got a foolish notion
that I would show those comrades that I was not afraid of
rebels bullets, so I got out of the pit and deliberately walked
back sixty or seventy yards before reaching any protection
from the bullets of the enemy, who improved the chance to
send a fusilade of shots after me. Strange enough, not a
shot touched me, but I then and there promised that never
again would I make my.self a fit subject for the "fool killer'"
by such silly conduct.
33
CAPTAIN JAMES A. CAHILL
A line of Bkirmish pits at intervals of twenty yards, with
four nervy fellows in each pit, could be held easily against a
charp;ing party of thrice that number advancing over open
ground. Through the months of July and August, 1864, the
writer was the only duty sergeant of Company F subject to
detail for duty on the skirmish line, and therefore can write
from actual experience. The reader should bear in mind that
the skirmishers of an array have nothing but the atmosphere
between them and the enemy; then you can imagine some-
thing about the close work required in advancing from one
position to another for a distance of more than 100 miles, and
finding the enemy every time in a fortified position of his own
choosing; and the reader must remember, too, that all of this
was accomplished in about 100 days.
Captain James, A. CahilL
James A. Cahill commanded Company F on the Atlanta
Campaign, and was killed near Kenesaw mountain. June 23,
18H4. His brother Uriah, now of Richwood, Ohio, started to
take the body back to Ohio. Before he reached Chattanooga
he found it would be impossible to get the body of the Captain
back to Ohio for burial, and securing some rough boards,
Uriah made a cofiin and the body was laid away in the Na-
tional cemetery at Chattanooga, Tenn.
From an article by the writer, and published in the Marys -
ville Times in the year 1887, under the title of "Our Captain,"
I quote the following:
"Captain Cahill, was a grand example of the natural
American soldier. He become a soldier because he was a
citizen. While he was prompt to enforce the orders of his
superiors, he never lost sight of the fact that private soldiers
have rights which Officers are bound to respect. He did not
hesitate to punish the guilty, nor was he slow to reward the
34
THE BLUE AND THE GRAY
worthy.
"Captain Cahill commanded the respect of those above him
in rank, but he was no cringing follower of his superior offi-
cers. If being equal to every emergency constituted a hero,
then truly our Captain was a hero. But it was not for him to
pass through that ordeal unscathed. One morning, only a
few days before the stars and bars on Kenesaw gave place to
the stars and stripes, his lifeless body was carried back, and
Company F was without a Captain. They shot him down as
a boy would shoot a bird. All day long the sound of the
rattling volleys of our skimishers would die away for a few
moments, only to break out again with a fury that showed
fierceness of the conflict. Occasionally a motionless form on
a stretcher was carried to the rear. In the midst of our un-
spoken sorrow, a strange officer came to take the place of our
dead Captain. We said nothing, but. Oh, how we despised
those men in gray, across that open space, in the shadow of
Kenesaw, the men who had killed our Captain.
"That night, as we lay on the ground with the sky for our
roof, we tried to reason why the sacrifice of such men as Cap-
tain Cahill was permitted, and wondered if the coming years
had in reserve a sufficient punishment for the misguided men
whose action made necessary the lonely graves which marked
the pathway of Sherman's Army."
The Blue and the Gray,
When the Confederates crossed the Chattahoochie river,
our men were close after their rear guard and captured the
pontoon bridge, which the enemy had not time to take up.
The bridge was fastened to trees on our side, and the enemy
would fell large trees into the river above our position. Some-
times the current carried one of the floating trees against the
35
A BAND CONCERT
bridge, but the ropes were strong and we held ou to the
bridge. The skimishers of both armies were separated by
the river, which at that point was not very wide. The blue
and gray were on good terms and agreed on a certain signal,
if orders were given to renew hostilities. Once while chang-
ing sentinels about midnight, to convince a sleepy comrade
that it was his turn for duty, the writer lighted a match to
see his watch. Just then a floating tree struck the wooden
pontoon at the upper end of the bridge, making a loud report,
followed by a volley from the boys in gray across the river.
Only one of our boys lost his nerve and fired back. The
Johnnies soon ceased firing and one of them inquired, "What
are you all up to?" We protested against them raising a dis-
turbance at that hour of the night, but they insisted that
"You all were doing something with the pontoon bridge."
A Band Concert,
While occupying the same position on the Chattahoochie
river, the officer in command of the Confederate outposts re-
quested the officer in charge of our line to ask our brigade
band, which we could hear as they played every evening, to
come down to the river. The band responded and was ac-
companied by a number of officers and soldiers. It was the
old regimental band of the 19th Illinois Infantry, which Gen-
eral Turchin had retained for his brigade band. They were
a good bunch of musicians. I recall that scene. A band of
musicians in their blue uniforms, standing out on the cap-
tured pontoon bridge, playing to an audience on each side of
the river — on one side the blue, on the other side the gray.
We cheered" The Red, White and Blue,"and other old nation-
al airs. They yelled when the band struck up "Dixie"and "The
Bonnie Blue Flag." Both sides applauded "Annie Laurie"
and "The Campbells are Coming," but no demonstration fol-
36
IN FEONT OF A CONFEDERATE BATTERY
lowed "Home, Sweet Home," which closed the concert.
I have read of similar musical entertainments, said to have
occured during the civil war, and once heard a public speaker
relate jnst about such an incident, which he said took place
on the banks of the Rhappahannoek in the East. However
similar to other incidents of the war this may be, I can vouch
for the truth of the foregoing incident as being correct in
every detail, as I now remember it.
The officer in gray thanked the musicians, then got into an
argument with some of our officers about the issues of the
war.
That night, "Billy" Williams, Jerome Oatley and the writer
entertained the men in gray until our entire stock of war
songs and home songs were used up. "Yanks, that's all right,
give us another," was the frequent call from the other side of
the river. We finally gave them "John Brown," including
the verse "We'll Hang Jeff Davis to a Sour Apple Tree."
That song went without any demonstration of approval from
the men in gray.
In Front of a Confederate Battery
Near Big Shanty Georgia,
The morning of June 18, 1864, our line was annoyed by a
battery which had got as so nearly located that a fuse shell
would sometimes burst directly over us. Fifty men of the
31st were called for. The ten from Company F volunteered
and the writer was one of that number. The ground was
soaked by a heavy rain which was still falling. We were de-
ployed in heavy skirmish line and worked our way over a
plowed field until we, reached the crest of a slight elevation
running almost parallel with and about two hundred yards in
front of the field works of the enemy. Our boys fired from
the higher ground aud crawled back a few yards and reloaded.
37
CORPS BADGES
Each group of eight or ten were instructed to aim at the field
gun in their immediate front. [The rebel guns were pro-
tected by field works made of log cribs filled with earth.] The
first shots from the battery struck the ground in our front
and bouncing up passed over us without injury to the skir-
mishers, excepting an occasional mud bath. Hovvever, we
lost several men duriug the day and night-
Within a half hour after commencing operations against
that battery we had every gun silenced for the rest of that day.
We could detect any movement of the rebel gunners by
watching the small opening through which the cannon was
fired, and, like the fellow in the riot, "When we saw a head
we went for it."
Our heavy line of skirmishers were in full control of the
enemy's position in our front. The Confederate infantry
could do us very little harm, a single head shown above their
works would draw a volley of shots from our side. We wal-
lowed in the Georgia mud till we were plastered from head to
feet. I doubt if any fifty men of Sherman's army got better
results from a single day's work during the Atlanta campaign.
The sorrowful part to record is the death of the brave boys
who went down on that line. Among the dead was John
Smith of Company F, a Rich wood boy; he was a splendid
boy and a good soldier.
Corps Badges,
The Acorn was the badge of the 14th Army Corps, a differ-
ent color for each division. The 1st division was red, the
2nd white and the 3rd bine. [NTote the blue acorn on title page
of this book.] The 20th Corps badge was a five pointed etur.
The following story passed along the line while the army
was pounding away at the city of Atlanta: For several days
the skirmishers of the 14th Corps had kept up friendly rela-
38
CORPS BADGES
tions with the outposts of the enemy. One night the Union
line was moved some distance to tlie right, leaving the skir-
mishers of the 20th Corps on a part of the line recently held
by the 14th Corps. Early next morning a Confederate called
out, "Say, Yanks, I reckon we will go over your way this
morning and gather a few acorns." Back went this reply
from the soldier of the 20th Corps: "Say, Johnnie, if you
come over here for acorns today, you will see stars, sure
as ."
Captain G. W. Pepper in his "Personal Recollections," re-
lates the following "badge" incident: "An Irish soldier of the
15th Corps came by the headquarters of General Butterfield
at Chattanooga. He was a tired and weather-beaten straggler,
one of those who made Sherman's March from Memphis to
Chattanooga, thence to Knoxville, and was now returning in
the cold of thai march from Knoxville to Chattanooga. He
was thinly clad, one foot covered with a piece of rawhide
bound with strings about a sockless foot. "Arms at will," he
trudged past the headquarters guard intent only on overtak-
ing his regiment.
"Halt," said a sentinel with a bright gun, clean uniform
and white gloves.
"What do you belong to?"
"Eighth 'Misshory,' sure."
"What division?"
"Morgan L. Smith's, av coorse."
"What brigade?"
"Giles Smith's, second brigade of the second division."
"But what army Corps?"
"The Fifteenth, you bloody fool, I am one of the heroes of
Vicksburg. Any thing more. Mr. Sentinel?"
"Whore is your badge?"
39
CAPTURING THE JOHNNIES
"My badge is it, wliat is that?"
"Do you see this star on my cap? That is the badge of
the 12th Corps. That crescent on ray partner's cap is the
badge of the 11th Corps."
"I see, now. That's how yez Potomick fellers git home ov
dark nights. Ye takes the moon and stars with ye."
"But what is the badge of your corps?"
Slapping his cartridge box the soldier replied:
"D'ye see that? A cartridge box, with a U. S. on a bra.ss
plate and forty rounds in it, and sixty rounds in oar pockets;
that's the badge of the 15th Corps that came from Vicksburg
to help ye fight Cliattanoogy."
It is said that when Logan heard of this incident, he adopt-
ed the cartridge box, v/ith the inscription "Forty Rounds" as
the badge of the 15th Corps, [Note— The 11th and 12th Corps
were consolidated and formed the 20th Corps which served in
Sherman's army until the end of the Civil war.]
Capturing the Johnnies.
It was August 5, 1864, according to an entry made that
day, that four companies of the 31st deployed in front of the
works, then advanced to our skirmishers who were within
close gunshot of the enemy's skirmish pits. Fortunately for
us, on the right of the line we were protected by woods with
a growth of underbrush. According to instructions, at the
sound of the bugle we made a dash for the enemy's skirmish-
ers, who had fired one volley and were about ready to give us
the second round when we stood over them. "We surrender,
Yanks," and dropping their guns, the Johnnies were bunched
together and taken back to brigade headquarters. The four
companies had captured sixty Confederates, with a loss to us
of seven; one killed and six wounded. This I get from the
reports. My personal knowledge of the affair was only v?hat
40
CAPTURING THE JOHNNIES
I saw. The intrenching tools were brought forward and it
was only a few minutes work to change the pits so they faced
the intrenchments of the enemy. From our new position to
the main line of the enemy the timber land was more open,
and we could see something and hear more of the commotion
caused by the loss of their skirmishers and the loss of the
ground which we now held.
One of our squad picked up a ramrod belonging to the
guns just captured, and found it was easily broken, like pot-
metal. Wo fired a number of those short pieces of iron at
the head logs on the enemy's works. Those pieces of ramrod
could be heard singing through the air, and they doubtless
left the Johnnies guessing as to what sort of ammunition we
were using that day. But our target practice was cut short
by a battery of the enemy, which cut loose for almost a half
hour, shooting large limbs from the trees, and one shot, strik-
ing the fresh earth bank of our pit, half buried four of us.
We kept our places in the pit, preferring to be covered with
earth, rather than expose our bodies to that storm of shot and
shell. I have cometimes thought it might have been the
same battery I helped to put out of business, back at Big
Shanty. However tliat may be, I can imagine the grim sat-
isfaction of the gunners as they sent in shot after shot which
almost buried the Yankees in the skirmish pits. Although
no attempt was made by the enemy to regain their lost ground
at that point, we braced ourselves for the charge of infantry
which we expected would follow the fierce cannonade. Re-
suming our target practice, we kept them behind their works
and held the position till evening, when other troops took
our places.
This was one of the many nerve testing days of the Atlanta
campaign. Imagine, if you can, our first movement in the,
41
CROSSING THE CIIATTAnOOCIIEE.
morning — stenlt.liily working our line up to tlie outposts, then
the suspense of waiting for ihe bugles to sound ''forward -/^
the rush and the capture of almost every Confederate skir-
misher on their line; the call for intrenching tools, when
moments of delay seemed hours; tlie hustling to shovel the
dirt and change the pits; the terrifSc thunder of the cannon,
while shot and shell swept the ground; then, going higher,
shot off great limbs, which fell over our place of shelter; the
suspense, again, while waiting the charge, which we were sure
would follow the cannonade, and the last hours of constant
firing from our position, and the eternal vigilence to prevent
the enemy from making a move to assault our hard earned
position. All this in a few hours, was a test of courage and
endurance which pen cannot portray. Yet this was the work
of only one little detachment of soldiers on a battle line eight
miles in length, and was whac we did in the hours of sunshine
of UNE day.
Dear reader, do not think it strange that so many Civil
war veterans are old, broken down men at the age of 60>
when men should be but little past the prime of manhood.
Crossing the Chattahoochee.
It was not the intention of the writer to record these in-
cidents in the order of their occurrence. The preceding
chapter gives an account of one day during the investment of
the city of Atlanta. The reader will pardon me if I go back
almost a month. It was about the 17th of July, ISGl, and a
few days after the "baud concert," that we were on (Hitpost
duty at the river, and noticed an unusual commotion among
the boys in gray on the other side. They were packing up
their cooking utensils and camp equipage and hastily forming
in line. On our side everybody seemed to take notice, and
42
ALONG PEACH TREE CREEK,
ouo of our fellows inquired the cause of their hurried move-
ments. A Confederate replied: ''Oh, nothin," only you all are
coming down the river on our side." and our foes marched
rapidly back from the river. A few minutes later some one
called attention to something up the river. Imagine our sur-
prise when looking to the left we saw a heavy skirmish line
of blue coming down the south side of the Chattahoochee, at
quick time and with their guns at "trail arms" Not a shot
was heard from the retreating Johnnies, or from the advanc-
ing Yankees. It was a new phase of war, and we, who had
been so chumy with the Alabama boys, almost regreted their
sudden departure. They were jolly good fellows and we had
carried on quite a business in trading coiiee for tobacco,
and some of our boys had ssvapped pocket knives with them.
The i^oint for the exchange of goods was a rock near the
middle of the stream. One morning a Confederate came across
and ate breakfast with members of Company F, after which
he returned to his own side of the river. The temporary truce
on tiio skirmish lines was a matter which was arranged by the
enlisted men of both sides. Our ofncers never objected to
such a compact with the enemy, and the Confederate ofScers
seldom interfered. It seems to me, now, that it was a sensi-
ble plan and doubtless saved many lives, and did not injur©
the cause for which we were fighting, namely: to crush the
youthern rebellion and restore the Union.
Along Peach Tree Creek.
About the 20th of July, 1804, Companies P and K were
deployed as skimishers and advanced to locate tlie position
to v/hich the enemy had retired the previous night. I remem-
ber the instructions given to us just before the signal "for-
ward" was heard. It was to keep well in line, "guide centre ''
43
ALONG PEACH TREE CREEK,
go slow until the enemy was sighted, then quietly signal
"halt" to the nest man on the right and left who were to pass
the signal on, giving time for all to get shelter as best they
could before a shot was fired at the enemy. Advancing a half
mile, the bnsh undergrowth was not so dense and I saw, with-
in gunshot, a bank of fresh Georgia earth. Signaling right
and left as instructed, I dropped behind a small tree from
from where I saw four Confederates near the bank of earth
playing cards. Off to the left some boy in our line discovered
another bunch of Johnnies near a skirmish pit and forgetting
instructions,blazed away at them. In a twinkling there was
something doing. A little cloud of dust arose as the John-
nies tumbled into the skirmish pit in our front, and a num-
ber of musket balls went "pinging" by my tree. We fired
at every gray hat shown above the bank of earth. We could
keep our four Confederates from doing much harm, but some
Johnnies farther to the left got range of my little tree which
afforded about eight inches of protection from the front.
How I wished for one of the big trees, such as we had chop-
ped down for coon up in Union county, Ohio. Those Geor-
gia trees were mere saplings, and the laager I stood behind
that one the smaller it seemed to get. SVe were sure that we
had located the Johnnies, but they had also located
me; that was evident from tlie shots coming in
''sideways." It is said that Gen. Gordon once accosted a Ten-
nessee soldier who was running to the rear and the soldier
stopped long enough to say, "I tell you. General, that's no fit-
ten place to be, up thar whar they are shootin." So, I also
thought, as I edged up against that miserable excuse for a
tree. Sam Merritt was mortally wounded and Elijah Lister
was shot through the arm. Company K lost three men.
All this occurred in less time than I have taken to write it.
4-1
MOVING UP TO ATLANTA.
Intrenching tools were sent forward and we established an-
other of the many lines of skirmish pits of the Atlanta cam-
paign, and our brigade built a line of field works in the rear
of our position.
Moving Up to Atlanta,
On the 22nd day of July, 1S64, we advanced within can-
non shot of Atlanta and began intrenching. A battery of
heavy guns near us fired shells into the Confederate lines with
a regularity that must have been very trying on the nerves of
our enemies. The enemy had some heavy guns. too. Huge
shells came over into our lines, causing the headquar-
ters people and teamsters to hustle around pretty liveiy. The
enemy formed in two or three lines in front of their works.
We could see the mounted ofiicers and hear the cheers of
the rebel troops, which, no doubt, was in response to Gen-
eral Hood's bombastic orders issued to his army about that
time. The enemy then moved toward the division on our
left, while all their artillery on that side of the city opened
on our lines. Long before they came within musket range
our artillery fire began to have its effect on their charging
column, which seemed to lose its aggressive force, then went
to pieces and drifted back toward Atlanta, battered and beat-
en. No doubt, this demonstration was made to help Hood's
right wing, which was then engaged in a desperate struggle
with McPherson's two corps, some five or six miles to our
left. Hood was defeated, but the army of the Tennessee lost
their commander.
A Plucky German.
In one of the scraps during the siege of Atlanta, a German
belonging to the regular brigade was wounded and lay for two
45
A PLUCKY GERMAN— ARTILLERY DUELS,
days and nights between the lines. A heavy rain fell dur-
ing the second night, and the soldier made out to crawl
back to our side. I was present when the surgeon dressed
the wounds. The soldier was first shot in the cheek and,
while laying on his face, a ball cut a furrow down his shoul-
der and missing his waist, had ploughed through the ilesli of
the hip. Oa both shoulder and hip the wound had opened
to a width of two or three inches, and the rain of the previous
night had colored the raw flesh so it resembled old beefsteak,
flecked with fly blows. He was stripped of his clothing and
seated on a camp stool. The poor fellow had evidently
kept the flies away from the wounds in his face, but the pests
had done their work on his shoulders and hip. It was enough
to cause even an old veteran to feel "creepy" to watch the
worms wiggle out and drop to the ground as the surgeon
drenched the wounds with some kind of a solution. The
Dutchman must have suffered, but he stood the ordeal brave-
ly, and caused some merriment by his inquiry: "Doc, are
you gitten dem all oud?"
Artillery Duels.
During the stirring days of the summer of 1804, when the
field guns of Sherman's army would send a shot at a battery
of the enemy or when the other side fired the shot anounc-
ing the challenge for a test of accurate firing, there was a
sort of pride among us infantry fellows in the battery engaged
on our side. On one of the lines of rifle pits we built near
the Sandtown road a battery was posted about two hundred
yards to the left of our regiment. I think it was Battery I>
Second Illinois Light Artillery. Almost every day we wit-
nessed a duel between the Illinois boys and a Confcdrate bat-
tery in their front, v.'hich was a good one, too. From their
16
ARTILLERY DUELS.
positions, both sides had a fair range. Sometimes our boys
would stand on the rifle pits and watch the effect of the shots
from the Illinois battery. More than once we saw shells
burst among the Confederate gunners and occasionally one
of their shells exploded near the guns of the Illinois boys.
One day a puff of smoke, from the battery across the field,
shot out straight toward oar regiment. One of our soldiers
yelled, "Down," aud down we went into the trench just in
time to hear the s-w-i-s-h of the shell, which barely missed
the "headlog" of our rifle pits and exploded a hundred feet
in our rear. Our sudden change of position was fun for the
Johnnies, who gave us the rebel yell. Another day, when the
men across the way were directing their shots at our regiment,
a shot hit the ground in our front and, bounding up, passed
over us into the cax)tain's tent, destroying the ledger con-
tainingthe clothing account of every member of Company F,
I believe we were on same line and were eating dinner one
day when that mischievous battery opened up for business.
"Dick" Eastman moved his coffee pot, frying pan and en-
tire outfit into the trench, remarking: Now, let 'em shoot
their cannon." Before Dick finished his dinner, a shot
struck the end of the head-log aud as it went down it carried
about one half a cubic yard of loose earth into the trench.
We thought Dick was a gonner, but a moment later he came
out covered with Greorgia soil and minus a coffee pot and fry-
ing pan. He was greeted with such a shout of laughter, and
Dick was so thoroughly disgusted with the whole af-
fair that he did not even smile as he brushed the soil from
his whiskers. It was a busy time, indeed, when the boys fail-
ed to see something funny.
Letters from Home.
Those August days when we were fighting for Atlanta were
47
LETTERS FROM HOME— SWAPPING.
not all bright days. The path of Sherman from Ringgold to
Atlanta and Jonesbore was marked with graves of our com-
rades, some of whom were schoolboys with the writer up in
Ohio,"Gods country," as the boys reverently named the North.
We had not received a penny of our pay since we re enlist-
ed as veterans, almost eight months before. But the mail
from "Gods country," came to us away down in that war
scourged state. The letters from home were laden with paren-
tal solicitude for the boy who was fighting the battles of his,
country. How we prized those messages of love, which sel-
dom omitted the kindly admonition: "Be brave, obey your of-
ficers, be true to your country and may God bless and keep
you." I believe that the soldier who had no home people to
write letters of affection and encouragement to him in the six-
ties, and who still did his duty as a faithful soldier deserves
more praise then he who was thus favored. But fathers,
mothers and children were not the only persons who wrote
letters to the boys. Almost every soldier who could sign his
name could boast of a lady correspondent some place up North,
and if closely watched, would often be caught looking at a
tintype picture carried in the inside pocket of the blue blouse
and inspected only on rare occasions when the soldier was
alone. Those noble, loyal girls in the North were important
factors in that war for the Union.
Swapping,
Some may marvel that so much space in this little book is
devoted to the writer's experience on the skirmish line. I
have passed without mention the heavy battles of Resaca,
Kenesaw Mountain and others of less note, because the read-
er can pick up any reliable history of that war and find a
detailed account of those engagements. Further than a few
48
SWAPPING.
incidents said to have occured on the skirmish lines in front
of our armies, I never read much about the men who stood
next to the enemy day and night, in sunshine and storm.
Official reports and newspaper accounts of the Atlanta cam-
paign scarcely mention the boys out in front of the battle
lines. The fact that officers of high rank and press corres-
pondents very seldom visited the boys out in front, fully ex-
plains the cause of said omission. Once, during the siege of
Atlanta, General A. Baird, our division commander, came
out on the line where the writer was stationed. We of the
rank and file had arranged a temporary truce for that day.
Our line officers on duty were glad enough to have a cessa-
tion of hostilities for a few hours. The blue and the gray
were mixing up between the lines. One group of four, two
Yanks and two Johnnies, were playing a game of cardp.
Others were swapping coffee for tobacco. One-fourth of our
number were between the lines, visiting and trading with the
Johnnies Not a man came to attention nor offered the mil-
itary salute as the general approached the skirmish line. Here
I will state that general Baird was very popular among the
soldiers. He had the confidence and respect of his men, but
those; were not the days of "dress parade." Almost every
day of that campaign the men on our skirmish lines witnessed
acts of cool bravery, whicli would have won a medal of honor
and honorable mention by the president of the United States
if the same had been brought to the notice of Mr. Lincoln;
hence our general had a profound resjject for the boys on
duty along the front of the army.
Making some inquiry of the officer commanding our part
of the line, general Baird seemed pleased with conditions
and, after talking further with the officer, returned to the
main line.
49
SVVAPPING-A DEAD BUSHWIIACKEE.
Our commanding officer gave orders to commence lireing
on the enem}' at the sound of the bugle. Meanwhile the con-
ference between the lines went on. Yanks and Johnnies
were discussing the war, and our boys were trading coffee,
pepper and salt for tobacco or any old thing the Johnnies
had to trade. When the clear notes of the bugle, back on the
battle line, sounded "commence fireing," and one of our men
shouted, "Hunt your holes. Johnnies," there was fun for
about two minutes. No doubt several important business
transactions stopped then and there, as the blue and gray
instantly separated and made frantic efforts to reach their
respective "gopher holes" before actual hostiliiies should
begin. In obedience to orders, as soon as the last Johnnie
had vanished we opened a brisk fire from our linf , to which
they responded with a vim that picvt d they were still in the
fight. The fireing on our side began to slacken and the other
side began to slow up. A Confederate called out, "Is that all,
Yanks?" Being assured that was all, they took our word
for it and within a few minutes the men of both sides were
again walking about, without arms, as though nothing had
occurred to interrupt our friendly relations.
In connection with the above incident, I give a few lines
of "A Veteran's Addres-s to Father Time," written in 1888 by
Sergeant Harry AJspaugh of Company H, 81st Ohio. Com-
rade Alspaugh died a year later at Kock Eapids, Iowa.
"Father Time, give us a glimpse of the muskets and sabers,
With the shot and the shell and the boys in the gray.
With whom we oft' swapjjed while on picket, like neighbors.
Then shot at each other like demons next day."
A Dead Bushwhacker.
Horace S. Colver a member of Co. F was on duty at brig-
50
A DEAD BUSHWHACKER.
ade headquarter, during the Atlanta campaign, and is author-
ity for the following: While Sherman's army was pounding
away at the Gate City of the South, in August 1864, a few
wagons, under a strong guard, were sent by the brigade quar-
termaster, to bring in green corn, which was then in hard
roasting ear. Colver was one of the train guards- Some
miles out, they crossed a small stream beyond which was a
field of corn. Before the wagons were loaded with snapped
corn, a storm came up and the rain fell until the little creek
was out of its banks, The stream was too deep to think of
crossing with the loaded wagons until the waters went down.
The officer-commanding the guard called for a soldier to
swim the stream and carry a message back to the commander.
Colver was the only one to volunteer. He was among the
best long distance swimmers in the regiment. Wrapping his
clothing around his gun and acoutrements and securing the
bundle on the back of his head he reached the opposite shore
some distance down st»ream. Hastily dressing he trudged along
barefooted under the August sun, which with the sharp sand
was too much for his barefeet. On a seat in front of a cabin
at the roadside Vv'as an old woman. Colver spoke to her, and
seating himself near the old lady, began to wring his stock-
ings and and ask questions, The aged Georgian was evidently
suspicious until Colver gave her a handfull of unground
coffee. The coffee acted like magic, she seemed to know that
Yankee soldiers were the only persons at that time who car-
ried genuine coffee. Her story was a thrilling one as she an-
swered the numerous questions of the Yankee soldier. Two
small boys were hanging around trying to size up the stran-
ger who carried genuine coffee, and each of the lads were pre-
sented with a handfull of the luxury. The boys were her grand-
children, and the family was known amftng (heir neighbors
51
A DEAD BUSHWHACKER.
as being opposed to secession, and for llio Union. The hus-
band and son, the later was the father of the two boys, had
"hid out" to avoid the Confederate conscripting officers.
One day her husband took his ax and his shot gun to a
"clearing" which she pointed out to her soldier visitor, who
was now all attention. During the forenoon she heard the
report of a gun from that direction and hastening to the
clearing, she found her husband dead. Some time after the
death of the father, her sou went as usual to the spring for
water. The mother heard a shot fired and running to the
spring found her boy had been shot down. "I raised him up a
little, and he died with his head in my lap," said the mother.
"Who killed your husband and son, or do you know?" asked
Colver. "Yes, indeed, I know." "Was he a rebel soldierT"
"No, sir, it was Abe Oilman alow down coward and bush-
whacker; I saw him skulking through the brush when I found
my dead husband." "Do you know where he is now?" The
older lad, said, "Yes, grandma, I seen Abe up at the corners,
'totherday." The woman's bony hand pointed at the boy, and
her sunken eyes almost snapped fire, as she hissed: "Kill him
the first chance you get." The boy had brought out a shot-
gun of ancient pattern, that he was cleaning. He told Colver
they could not get powder, and asked about the amunition the
Yankees used. To please the boys Colver gave them a few
cartridges, showing them how the ball could be detached from
the paper holding the powder. The older lad emptied the
powder of a Springfield cartridge into the barrel of the old
gun, and Colver warned them against loading too heavy.
(jiving the woman the rest of his coffee, he was about to
move on when the woman asked which way he was going.
He said back to the line in front of Atlanta. "If Abe sees
you, he will kill you sure; the boys seen him not long ago; you
r>9
A DEAD BUSHWHACKER.
better look out." With her words of warning in mind he
kept a sharp lookout. The sand hurt his feet, and remember-
ing the old lady's warning, he left the traveled road and going
into a brushy growth of timber, from where he could see the
road, put his shoes and stockings on. From his place of
concealment he saw a man step into the road from the timber
on the opposite side, about one hundred yards from the point
where Colver left the road. The man was in citizen's dress
and carried a shot gun, and was watching the place where
Colver had struck out into the timber. The later, placing a
fresh caj) on his Springfield and passing through the brueh
stepped into the road, and leveling his musket at the man or-
dered him to throw down his gun. The fellow dropped his
shotgun and was still looking into the muzzle of Colver's gun
when the sharp report of a gun close by led him to believe that
he was fired at by a companion of the stranger. For an in-
stant he was dazed, then he saw the man lying dead in the
road, and the two boys to whom Colver had given the car-
tridges came out of the wood.s repeating, "We got him, we
got him." "Who is he?" asked Colver. "Abe Gilman," said the
older boy, "the low down pup that shot pap and graudpap."
The older boy put a load into the old shot gun and fired it
into the body of the bushwacker. The younger boy run home
to tell the news of Abe's death. After drawing the loads from
the dead man's gun, which was a modern double barrel shot
gun, Colver presented it to the lad v.'ho was so delighted
that he se(mied to forget the wrelch he had sent into eternity
<nily a few moments before. Meantime the other boy who
h<id carried the news to the c;iVjLti at the road side, returned
with his grandmother and a woman much younger, win) prov-
ed to bo the m'>ther of the two boy.s, but had not made her ap-
pearance while Colver was resliug at th(; hounn. The .^ight
5;5
A DEAD BUSHWHACKER -THE DEADLINE.
of the dead bushwhacker seemed to enrage both women be-
yond desoription. They stood over his ghastly corpse cursing
him as the cowardly brute who had murdered their husbands,
the father and son, and by his acts both were left widows
witli two fatherless boys. To Colver's inquiry as to what sliould
be done with the body, the old lady said they would drag it
away from the road, pile brush and logs on it and set fire to
the pile.
Young Colver delivered the message at headquarters, and
the wagons came in the following day. Mr. Colver is no long-
er a young man, but he has not forgotten the tragic death of
the Georgia bushwacker who, doubtless, was laying in wait for
the Yankee soldier, when the latter left the road to put his
shoes on, and had he not chanced to visit th<it humble home
perhaps "Abe" would have lived to relate how he got th©
drop onto one of Sherman's men, and the military record of
Horace S. Colver would read something like this: ''Reported
missing in front of Atlanta, Ga., August, 18G4. Nu further
record found."
The Dead Line,
Just before dark on the evening of August 7, ISGi, our regi-
ment formed outside of the works and advanced, making a
right half wheel, until the left of the regiment joined the
right of the regular brigade, which had advanced during the
afternoon. We built rifle pits within a hundred yards of the
enemy's skirmish line. At 10 o'clock that night the Confed-
erates advanced and for a half hour it was liot work, and the
fireing was kept up all night. I did not see a Johnnie, but
kept busy shooting at the flashes of their guns. That night
and during the following days that we held that position we
lost many of our boys, and it was known ever afterwards as
54
THE DEAD LINE.
the "dead line."
The night ot Augu-st 7, was a trying ordeal for the Slat.
To me there was terror in the sound of a S^-ealiber ritle
ball tired from a point two or three hundred feet away, as it
IDassed my head, but it was fierce to hear one as it struck the
quivering flesh of a comrade. When morning came we were
partly protected by earthwork, but we lost about twenty men
killed and wounded. Sergeants Talbot, of Co. G, and Mc-
Broom, of Co. B, were among the killed, and Capt Barber
severely wounded "Billy" William s was standing in the
trench, near the writer, when a ball struck his head. Billy
was the leading tenor of our quartet. I helped to carry his
body to a knoll in the rear of the main lino, where we found
a number of newly made graves. We prepared the grave,
wrapped the body in his own blanket and laid him away to
rest. You may think it was a rough burial, but we did the
very best we could do. There was no time for ceremony, nor
f(jr eulogy of the dead soldier. There was no farwell salute
by a squad of soldiers. The sound of Confederate shells as
they came over from the enemy was the only requiem sung at
Billy's funeral. Sergeant H. N. Simmons of Co. F, with his
pen-knife, carved the name, company, and regiment on a
board taken from a cracker box. This board was placed at
the grave.
A few days after the events just related, we were again on
the "dead line" and found a stream of water in a ravine be-
tween the lines. By mutual agreement the soldiers on both
sides tilled their camp kettles an<l canteens at this running
stream. In the Confederate ranks were soldiers who at heart
were "Union men," and had been forced to enlist in the rebel
nnny. During the days last mentioned our boys induced six
or seven of the men they had met at the stream to quit the
TO JONESBOKO.
stare and bars and come inside our line.s under tlie
old flag. The followiug days no Confederates came to that
ravine for water.
To Jonesboro.
About the time Sherman was preparing to "silently fold
his tents and steal away" to Jonesboro, a funny incident was
related by Sergeant Harry Alspaugh, of Co. H, who was on
the skirmish line at the time of this occurrence:
"It was near midnight and our friends in gray were chang-
ing outpost sentinels every two hours. Neitlier side had
fired a shot all day, although the troops on our right and loft
kept up a regular fusilade. A Confedei'ate corporal and his
relief guard missed their bearings and were coming close to
our line. One of our boys" called out:
"Halt! Who comes there?
Promptly came the answer in Southern accents:
"Cohporal of the relief gueard."
"Go back and relieve your own men; we are Ohio troops."
The astonished corporal muttered something about getting
into the Yankee lines, and hustled liis "gueard" back to their
own lines."
Before duybreak, about August 27, we left our trenches
and marched back to a wagon road which was filled with
marching soldiers. Here we waited the passing of the troops,
and we of the ranks and file realized that it was a new move
of Sherman's to get Hood out of Atlanta. "Silence" was the
order. I recall the suspense of waiting, and in spite of orders,
there was a distinct hum of conversation along the marching
column. I thought of the rebel battery in front of the tronclios
we had just left, and was trying hard to not think about the
effect of a few shells from that battery thrown into the mass
5(*.
TO JONESBORO— BACK TO ALABAMxi.
of soldiers grouped along the road. But the enemy, it appears,
did not suspect any such a move and we felt a sense of relief
when we got our place in the marching column. While on
the march to Jonesboro the story got out about Sherman warn-
ing the officers that the soldiers should not be permitted to
pay such high prices for chickens. We lived well on the stuff
that came in our way. The last night of August our brigade
got to the Macon railroad and made rifle pits in the form of a
square, and destroyed the track for some distance. No more
trains went south from Atlanta over that part of the Macon
railroad until the close of the war. The position we held that
night was known as " the bull pen."
On the afternoon of September 1, the army assaulted and
captured the enemy's intrenchments at Jonesboro.
It is said that a Dutchman of the 14th Ohio jumped into
the rifle pit among the Confederates and, throwing aside his
gun, began knocking them right and left with his fists, and
shouting, "Mine Gott, I have no patience mit you." Our
division lost heavily in this battle, which ended the great
Atlanta campaign.
Back to Alabama
After enjoying a rest of almost a month in camp near Atlan-
ta, the 14th army corps got into the chase after Hood, who was
moving his army north. We were not far from Kenesaw
mountain when Sherman signaled the famous message from
Kenesaw to General Corse at Altoona: "Hold the fort, I am
coming." We skirmished with Hoods rear guard through
Snake Creek gap and across Taylor's ridge. The Confederates
were short on rations as shown by the chewed stalks of sugar
cane which littered their camps. Crossing the line into Ala-
bama we passed through a rich country, which had so far es-
57
BACK TO ALABAMA— MARCHING THRO' GEORGIA
caped the ravages of war. Corn, sweet potatoes, fresh pork
and beef were our bill of fare.
At one plantation, three daughters mounted on three large
mules were lined up near the road, grimly watching the pass-
ing army of blue coats The girls were notliomely, and their
scheme worked all right. Sherman's men did not get papa's
three mules. Starting south figiiin toward Atlanta we hoofed
it over the greater part of the route, the third time within
five months. There was nothing funny going on in our camp
the night we reached Kingston, Ga., in a drenching Novem-
ber rain, and could not find enough dry wood to start fires.
Marching Through Georgia.
The regiment held its election November, 18(54. Every
sojfjier was absolutely free to vote the ticket of his choice
Abraham Lincoln received 205 votes and George B Mc-
Clellan 16 votes. McClellan whs formerly the commander of
the Potomac army, but Lincoln was "Father Abraham," be-
loved and honored by the soldiers of the Union army. Gen-
eral Sherman's order, dated Nov, 9, 18(54, describing the
order in which the army was to march from
Atlanta southward was read to the regiment, and I recall the
splendid spirit shown by the soldiers and how enthusiastic
we were. Although the order did not name the place of our
destination, we had such faith in Siierman, that we were sure
of success when our colors pointed south from Atlanta on the
Ifith day of November, 18G4. After the last train went north
from Kingston and we began destroying the railroad on Nov-
ember 12, from the latter place to Atlanta, the humblest pri-
vate understood that the next letter to reach him would
travel by some route other then "via Chattanaoga and
Atlanta."
<58
MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA.
Two days out from Atlanta, November 18th, we first heard
through an old native of Georgia that Lincoln was elected
president.
Passing through the little town of Covington, I remember
a crippled Confederate soldier was among the few bystanders.
One of the boys called to him, "Hello, pard; what regi-
ment?" The soldier gave the number, " — Jawjay, sab," and
gave us the military salute.
We became very proficient in the work of destroying rail-
road. The railroads of the south were, as a rule, in poor con-
dition. The old fashioned slot, or chair, was used to connect
the ends of the rails. The regiment, and oftimes the brigade,
formed in line near tlie track and "stacked arras," and at a
signal the men would seize the ends of the ties and turn the
long line of rails and ties topsy turvy. Various plans were
employed to draw the spikes. We had nothing but picks,
shovels and axes, and these would not aid us in tearing up the
track.
But the men always got the rails loose from the ties. Thir-
ty or forty ties were piled up and a fire started. The rails
were placed on the burning ties as one would balance a plank
across a board fence for a see saw. When the rails became
red hot the ends settled to the ground. When time would
l^ermit and forest trees were close by, two men at each end of
he rail would carry it to a tree, and bend the middle of the rail
around the tree, as you would bend wire around a fence post.
I have seen green trees more than a foot in diameter half
burned off by this girdling process.
In this conection I will record an experience of Uriah
Cahill, a member of Co. F. Only a few years after the close
of the war, Mr. Cahill was at Savannah, Ga. He did not think
it worth while to tell the people there that he went with Sher-
59
MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA,
umii through Georgia. Boarding at the same hotel were a
number of young men.
In their conversation one day a young man from central
Georgia told of seeing many iron rails twisted around trees
like ropes, and the railroad conductor said that was done by
Sherman's men. The young man said it was a mystery to him
as to how Sherman's men managed to coil iron rails around
trees and the others could not explain the matter. Mr. Ca.
hill could have given them the desired information, but he
seemed to have no interest in the subject of their conversation.
One of the pany whose home was in the path of Sherman's
march, told of his mother sending him to the mill with a few
bushels of corn.
He was driving the family horse, harnessed to a one-horse
wagon, and felt secure because he was too young for conscrip-
ting officers to "press" into the military service. A force of
Confederate cavalry was passing him when one of the soldiers
dismounted from an old blind horse, remarking: "Here, boy,
I want that boss," and leaving the blind animal rode away
on the family horse. He harnessed up the old horse and was
driving toward the mill when lie was overtaken by a company
of Yankee cavalry and one of the number said, "Here, boy, I
want that horse." The horse was unharnessed and taken
away. The young man said, 'I hung the harness on the
fence and footed it back home." The other fellows laughed
at the story, but it is a safe conclusion that the boy did not
got much fun out of his experience with Wheeler's and Kil-
patrick's troops at the time of the occurrence.
We passed through a beautiful country, and lived on the
fat of the land. The guerillas, or bushwackers, murdered
many of our men who were away from our line of march,
foraging for supplies. Before reaching Milledgeville, hun-
CO
MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA,
dreds of negroes were flocking after us, on foot, in old wag-
ons, in carta and in ancient family vehicles. Poor mortals,
not one of them ever drew a disloyal breath. I seen wagons
filled with negro women and children, their wooly heads
showing up among feather beds and straw-ticks like so
many black kittens in a rag basket. Many of the women
walked, carrying their household goods.
"Where are you going, auntie?" we asked a portly wom-
an with a huge bundle on her head. "I dunno." was the
reply, "I'm just gwine along with you all." The sim^Dle
faith of those black people in the soldiers who marched un-
der the stars and stripes was really pathetic.
We saw many Codfederate soldiers who were crippled for
life, and in every instance, so far as I can remember, they
were treated courteously.
One day a mounted orderly, belonging to headquarters,
got off his horse and rushing into a shanty was looking for
siuoked bacon. A large vat of sorghum molasses, sunk in the
ground, was covered with boards. He stepped on the boards
which broke and the fellow went into molasses up to his hips.
When dragged out he was a comical sight. His high top
boots were full and running over, and his long overcoat was
dripping a trail of molasses as he led his horse away.
We stopped at Milledgeville one day. Some officers of the
20th army corps organized a mock legislature in the state
house. General J. S. Robinson, of Kenton, Ohio ,was chosen
speaker of the house. They had a high old time in the same
hall which was so suddenly vacated the previous day by the
Georgia lawmakers.
While marching through one town the boys went into the
postoffice and inquired for their mail.
Foraging parties, commanded by officers detailed for that
purpose, were mounted on captured horses and mules. Wag-
01
MARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA,
ons were with every regular foraging party, and they were
loaded with meat, sweet potatoes and other food. The fat
hogs were driven to the point v/hore the troops camped for
the night. From Covington to Milledgeville it was not un-
usual to see a few fat hogs and a wagon load of sweet
potatoes left at the camp of the previous night. But the
country beyond the Capitol City was less productive. Before
we reached Savannah, we "Longed for the flesh pots of
Egypt."
Baird's division was sent to the support of Kilpatrick, oif
toward Augusta. Again we passed through a good country
and lived well. Our division marched through Waynesboro
in support of the cavalry who had driven Wheeler's cavalry
through the town. A woman was kneeling over the dead
body of a Confederate cavalryman; perhaps it was her
husband.
General Joe Wheeler has, in recent years, been rated as one
of the ablest cavalry leaders of either side in the Civil war.
From personal knowledge of some of his campaigns I should
rate him in a class below such soldiers as Jddson Kilpatrick.
Wheeler seldom, if ever, boldly attacked an equal number of
Union cavalry under a competent leader. His brilliant ex-
ploits were chiefly in rapid marches across a country of
which every mile was familiar to many of his troopers, and
in burning feebly guarded wagon trains and capturing small
garrisons along railroads, and thus making the job of burning
railroad bridges and long lines of wooden trestle work a com-
paratively easy task.
When Sherman's army reached Savannah many of the
soldiers wore clothing of many colors, like Joseph's coat.
At Milledgeville, Ga , I swapped a crownless hat for an old
fashioned silk plug hat. It was the plug hat or a gray butter-
G2
xMARCHING THROUGH GEORGIA,
uut, so I took the former. My blue trousers were hanging on
the ragged edge, so I paid a forager |2.00 for trousers of gray
and black plaid; the stripes were very wide. It was a swell
garment, and must have belonged to the Sunday suit of some
young southerner. It was with some misgivings that I cast
aside the blue trousers, which had done good service for
many months, and put on the heavy plaid cassimeres, made
after the fashion that prevailed among well dressed men of
that period. They, the trousers, were made very small in
the legs almost to the ankle, where they expanded to such
dimensions that they almost covered my shoes. Many soldiers
wore citizen's clothing on that march, but I think there was
only one stovepipe hat in our brigade. It was really annoy-
ing to be away from the company on that march.
If I happened to leave the column to fill my canteen I was
greeted with something like this, "Hello, Chaplain, where do
you preach next Sunday?" "Look at his feet," etc. The hat
was rain- proof, and the trousers were much warmer than the
regulation blue. The first Sunday in Savannah brought the
long neglected brigade inspection, and our inspector smiled
audibly when he came to my place in the company. In the
first "draw" of government clothing, the plug hat and plaid
trousers went to a colored man, who seemed to think he had
struck it rich.
Anderson ville
When Sherman started south from Atlanta, we of the rank
and file, supposed one of the army corps and Kilpatrick'a
calvary would reach our starving comrades at Anderson ville,
Ga. But the right of our army had hardly reached Macon
when our boys were hastily transferred from Andersonville to
other southern prisons. We did not know until after the
03
ANDERSONVILLE.
close of the war that General Sherman, himself, was so de-
termined to accomplish what his men were so anxious to
have done.
In a letter written to Mr. James E. Yateman of the United
States sanitary commission, dated May 21, 18()5, General
Sherman said: "I don't think I ever set my heart so strongly
in any one thing as I did in attempting to rescue those pris-
oners at Andersonville, and I almost feared instead of doing
them good I had actually done them harm, for they were
changed from place to place to avoid me and I could not with
infantry overtake railroad trains. But at last their prison
doors are open."
I remember it was a matter of regret among the soldiers
that we of Sherman's army could not rescue them from that
loathsome stockade, the story of which will ever be a reproach
to our boasted civilization.
I will digress, and give the reader a few facts concerning
conditions at Andersonville prison. These are accepted as
facts because they were written by one who survived the hor-
rors of that place. About the year 1880, it was stated on the
floor of Congress, that Andersonville was no worse than
northern military prisons. In reply to the above, a com-
rade who spent the greater part of the year 186-1 in the stock-
ade at Andersonville, wrote the following:
"The man who speaks of Andersonville as no worse than
northern military prisons can never comprehend what An-
dersonville was.
"He can never be made to understand the horrors of that
dread jDlace, where a seething mass of humanity festered and
rotted beneath the rays of southern sun; where corruption
was in the air and men were food for worms long before they
were dead. No pen can paint the terrible sights that greeted
()I
ANDERSONVILLE.
ones eyes everywhere they turned; of men's gums protruding
beyond their mouths and teeth dropping from their jaws,
or limbs twisted into horrible shapes and swollen until the
skin glistened; of hundreds with their mouths eaten away
with canker; of the fearful array of dead which every morn-
ing laid by the gates, with drawn faces, distorted Hmbs and
staring eyes. If a poet wished to depict, as Dante did, the
tortures of the dammed in the Inferno, a visit to the gangrene
ward of the hospital at Andersonville would have left little
for the imagination to supply. There he would have found
several hundred men whose tissues were being devoured by
the virus of gangreene. Hands and feet were rotting off, or
else mortification had begun under the skin of the back, and
was rapidly eating away the soft tissues between the epider-
mis and the ribs; agonizing shrieks and groans went up con-
stantly, but when at intervals, the attendants made their
rounds and drenched the sores with solutions of blue vitrol
in the vain hope of stopping the sloughing, the outcries were
sufficient to appall the heart of the strongest. We think it
not over-estimating the case to say there was more actual
misery in that single ward than in all the prisons of the
north combined; and in the utter needlessness of having such
misery occur, consists much of the deep damnation of the
guilt of those resj)onsible for Andersonville."
John McElroy, (in the Toledo Blade).
The same author, who is the present editor of the National
Tribune, in his book "Andersonville" says: "A few wagon
loads of roasting ears and sweet potatoes would have banish-
ed every trace of scurvy from the camp and healed up the
wasting dysentery and saved thousands of lives. Any day
the Confederates had chosen, they could have gotten a thou-
sand volunteers, who would have given their solemn parole
n5
ANDERSONVILLE— ACROSS THE CAROLINAS.
not to escape, and gone any distance in the country to gather
the potatoes and corn, and such other vegetables as were
readily obtainable and bring them into the prison. Whatever
else may be said in defense of the southern management of
military prisons, the permitting seven thousand Union
soldiers to die of scurvy in the summer of 1804, in the midst
of an agricultural reigon filled with all manner of green
vegetation, must forever remain impossible of explanation."
Andersonville is not a subject one cares to revive, but in
view of the recent attempt to perpetuate the memory of
Capt. Wirz as a hero of the "lost cause," I am prompted to
reproduce the foregoing facts as to the conditions existing
at the prison, which was under the management of this same
Wirz. The terrible punishment visited upon our Union sol-
diers at Andersonville by brutal starvation, the stocks and the
chain gang, outrivaled the diabolical torture of their white
prisoners by the American Indians in the seventeenth
century.
Across the Carolinas.
Leaving Savannah, Ga., about January 20, 1865, we march-
ed up the south bank of the Savannah river to Sisters Ferry,
The river was on a rampage and water covered the bottom
lands on the South Carolina side. We camped there until we
could cross over with our artillery and wagons. The Georgia
farmers would drive into our camps with oysters by the bar-
rel. I do not remember the jDrice per gallon, but to us, who
had been paying fifty cents for a measly little can of cove
oysters, the price asked for a gallon was a nominal sum. We
had sent our money home, when paid off at Kingston in Nov-
ember, but our mess wanted oysters and wanted them mighty
bad. My faithful bunkmate, A. I. Higgins, called a meeting
66
ACROSS THE CAROLINS.
of the members of the mess, namely, A. I. nigoins. T. M.
Beathard, L. F. Wade and the writer. Comrade Higgins
projDosed trading liis old watch for a gallon of oysters, if the
dealer would pay him three or four dollars to boot. The rest
of us agreed to even up on the expense, the next pay day.
Higgins could not induce the Georgian to trade that way,
and rather than miss a mess of those large fresh fellows, he
traded the watch for twelve gallons — as he put it, "took it all
in oysters." It required all the mess pans and coffee cans we
could borrow in Co. F. to hold the oysters. Some of the
utensils were loaned for our use only until time to cook the
next meal, but Higgins was equal to the emergency, and suc-
ceeded in borrowing some camp kettles of the teamsters, pay-
ing the rent in oysters. We entertained our friends, regard-
less of expense, and for a few days "put on airs to beat the
band."
While passing through the Carolinas we gathered
the "fat" pine knots for our evening camp fires, and for
cooking purposes. The pine logs had long since decayed
leaving the knots which were glazed with resin. The black
smoke from the burning knots would stick to the faces of the
soldiers hovering around the fires^ until we sometimes bore a
striking resemblance to the troops that stormed Fort Wagner.
One morning in February we stood for an hour around the
fires, before taking our place in the marching column. About
the time we were started for the day's march a mounted of-
ficer, who was trying to reach the head of our column, in-
quired, "What troops are these?" Some comrade promptly
answered, "General Foster's troops." It was reported that
Foster commanded a force of colored troops which would co-
operate with Sherman's army. As the officer passed I took
note of the faces near me, and, no mistake, the complexion
67
ACROSS THE CAROLINAS.
did not correBpond with the color given on the muster-in
rolls of Company F.
It was a fearful winter campaign. Our brigade, now com-
manded by Col. M. C. Hunter, built many miles of corduroy
road. Once, on that march, it rained steady for almost a week.
One morning a six-mule team stalled before getting out of the
field where we had camped. The mules were unhitched and
a long "picket rope" was brought out, the ends of which
were fastened to the front axle of the wagon and about sixty
of the 31st, at a given signal hauled the loaded wagon into
the road. It was a practical demonstration of the fact that ten
men could pull a greater load through soft ground than one
mule could draw. The crossing of the Catawba river was
made under great difficulties. The river was booming high
and the swift current had twice broken our pontoon bridge.
The night was pitch dark and Wheeler was pushing our rear
guard. Great bonfires were kept burning at each end of the
bridge, General Baird stood at the south end of the pon-
toon. When a wagon was fairly on the planking, the mules
were unhitched and led across and ten men hauled the wagon
to the north side. I recall the scenes of that night. The
fires lighting up the pontoon bridge showed the teamsters
with their wagons as they came out of the dense darkness in-
to the fire light. The frightened mules crowding from each
side of the narrow passage, as the rushing waters surged
against the canvas covered boats, which rose and fell with the
flood and threatened the anchor ropes holding the structure
in line, the shouts of the men as they helped the teamsters up
the hill on the north side of the river, the shots of the rear
guard who were keeping VVheeler at a safe distance over on
the south side, the inky darkness of the night outside of the
space lighted by the huge fires, all formed a picture, which
()8
ACROSS THE CAROLINAS.
to put on canvas is beyond the skill of an}^ artist.
I remember as we were trudging along one night in North
Carolina, a soldier who seemed to have come from the rear of
our regiment and whs tramping along at the side of our
column, began to talk about where Kilpatrick was at that
time, and the distance to the roads on which the other army
corps were marching. Some of our boys got into conversa-
tion with the straggler and found that he was not thoroughly
posted as to the names of division and corps commanders in
Sherman's army. At last some one inquired the number of
his regiment. He gave the name of a regiment in our divi-
sion, and immediately disapj3eared in the darkness. The
boys concluded at once that one of Joe Johnson's spies had
been marcliing with us.
Our brigade was in advance when the army reached Fay-
otteville, North Carolina. As was often the case in that cam-
paign the mounted foragers had skirmished into the town
just ahead of us. The Fayetteville Observer was ''half out" and
the editor was "not in," but the copies of the unfinished is-
sue, which were the first newspa^^ers we had seen since cross-
ing the Savannah river, were distributed on short notice.
Here we saw General Sherman, the first time since leaving
Savannah.
Our bill of fare at Fayetteville was flour "flapjacks," ham
and eggs. As Comrade Higgins remarked at the time, "This
is too good to last very long" Within ten days from that
time we were living on mush cooked in open mess pans into
which a quantity of North Carolina sand had been sifted by
the March winds. I recall now just what that mush and
sand did for my teeth.
While on the march, one day, a little girl of perhaps ten
years came from a house wringing her little hands and cry-
()9
ACROSS THE CAROLIN AS.— HOMEWARD.
ing, "Soldiers, our house is burning." At least a hundred of
our regiment hastened to the dwelling, a snug frame, near
the road and found a log outbuilding on fire, in rear of the
dwelling. The intense heat from the burning pine logs, had
fired the pine siding of the dwelling. Willing hands threw
water against the dwelling and tore down the burning logs,
and in ten minutes the fire was out and we marched away
with many a "God bless, you, soldiers," from the mother and
child.
Homeward.
General Johnson surrendered his army to General Sher-
man April 20, 1865. Our army marched to Washington via
Richmond, Va. The second day out from Raleigh we passed
the residence of an old gentlemen who had a United States
flag floating from a high pole at the side of the road. We
heard the cheering of the soldiers before we could see the
flag. The North Carolinian, with hair and beard of several
years growth, stood near the flag pole, hat in hand, bowing
to the soldiers. He explained by saying when Ft. Sumpter
was fired upon, he made a vow that he would not shave nor
have his hair cut until he could hoist that flag and see it
wave over a united country. We gave the old man an ova-
tion and, with heads uncovered, marched under the flag.
The colored people along the line of march would gaze in
wonder at the long column of blue coats. Many of those
black people said we were the first Yankee soldiers to pass
through that country. It was a triumphant march for Sher-
man's men, but a sad home coming for the men who had been
with Lee and Johnson, and were then returning to their
homes. North of the Roanoke river an old colored man and
his wife were working in the field. I inquired, "Do you get
70 '■
HOMEWARD.— THE COW BELL.
pay for yoar work?" Both were astonished when told they
were no longer slaves, but were free. The old man said, "If
Lincoln did free us, we are still in slavery." We could not
convince them that the Emancipation Proclamation, with the
final defeat of the southern armies, gave absolute freedom to
the colored people in the south. In view of conditions since
that time in some parts of the south, the old man was not far
wrong. Although the brutal murder of President Lincoln
had aroused the indignation of Sherman's men, I do not recall
a single act of lawlessness on the part of our soldiers in the
entire march from Raleigh, N. C, to Washington.
The Cow Bell,
The reader must allow me to go back three years. During
the siege of Corinth, Miss., heavy picket lines were maintain-
ed in front of the intrenched lines of General Hallack's army,
but the skirmishers did not intrench as they did two years
later. In front of our brigade the tinkle of a cow bell was
heard night after night. It was a first-class imitation of a
bell strapped on the neck of a cow as she "browsed" among
the bushes. The men on outpost would discuss the matter,
some contending that the bell was carried by a bovine, while
others insisted it was a ruse of the enemy to get in close
proximity to our outposts. At that period in the war it was
a serious matter for a soldier on outpost to fire at random
during the night. A single shot on our picket line at night
would arouse the entire division. Two years afterwards the
sound of a cow bell near the line of outposts would have been
the signal for a volley of shots, which would not disturb the
men on the main line of battle. About the time the Confed-
erates evacuated Corinth, one of our soldiers found a cow bell
with a short hand strap. It was found between the outer
71
cow BELL-CELEBRATING 4th.— CON. DUDE
lines of both armies. At that period of the war we had men
who would take chances in order to learn something about
the enemy, but I cannot imagine why that Confederate
"toted" a cow bell back and forth night after night in front
of our picket line.
Celebrating the Fourth of July, 1862,
After the evacuation of Corinth in 1862, General Buell's
army occupied tlie country east from Corinth, Miss., toward
Chattanooga, Tenn The division of General George H.
Thomas was at Tuscumbia, Ala., on the 4th day of July.
About noon a national salute was fired by a battery of six
guns, and Colonel M. B. Walker of the 31st Ohio made the
address. In the evening the division was massed at the
crossing of the two principal streets, where a stand had been
erected for the speakers. The flags of the twelve regiments
were grouped in a circle around the stand. Colonel Fry of
the 4th Ky. Inf. read the Declaration of Independence and
made a short address. Among the other speakers were Col,
J, B. Steadman, 14th Ohio; Col. Harlen of the 10th Ky; Col.
Connell of the 17th and Gen. Robert L. McCook of the 9tli.
Ohio, and I think. Major H. V. Boynton of the 35th Ohio.
A number of citizens were present, some of whom showed
some interest, but the greater number looked on in silence
and seemed to be angry that we should parade their streets
clad in our blue with a liberal display of the stars and stripes.
A Confederate Dude,
While camped at Tuscumbia, a Confederate Lieut. Col.
who resided in the village was at home as a paroled prisoner.
At that period of the war both sides paroled many prisoners.
The oflficer paraded the streets in full uniform with a colored
72
A CONFEDERATE DUDE.— PEACH COBBLERS.
body servant tagging after him carrying a basktt to hold the
flowers presented to the officer by his lady admirers. A squad
of our soldiers were cleaning up the neglected streets of the
village one day, a task often imposed during General Buell's
day — and perhaps the boys raised more dust than was neces-
sary as the rebel officer was passing. So the dude proceeded to
give the boys a lecture on the superiority of an officer as com-
pared to a common soldier, using some profanity to emphasize
his remarks. This was too much for our boys, who dusted the
young dandy from head to foot, scattered the flowers broad-
cast and ordered him to stay indoors until he learned how to
address Northern gentlemen who were his superiors. The of
fleer had the matter presented to our brigade commander,
Gen. SchosfiP, who ordered the boys sent to the guard house
but they were soon released.
*'PeachCobbiers,''
I am reminded of some good times at Tuscumbia, and es-
pecially of the immense "peach cobblers" baked in largo
mess pans. We had flour and sugar of our own, pork fry-
iugs made good "shortening" for the crust, milk could be
bought by the gallon and those, with a basket of large Ala-
bama peaches, made a feast, the memory of which lingered
with us to the last days of the rebellion.
Many times during the subsequent throe years, and espec-
ially when living on rice in front of Savannah and when eat-
ing sandy mush in North Carolina, some reckless comrade
would bo rash enough to mention something about an Ala-
bama "peach cobbler" only to be called down as a "blooming
chestnut." Public sentiment just at that time would not
stand for that sort of ancient history.
73
Honor to Whom honor Is Due
As one of the humble survivors of the war of the rebellion,
which closed with the collapse of the so-called Southern Con-
federacy about forty-five years ago, I am glad to extend full
pardon to those who for four years tried to destroy the
government. But I de^^ply deplore the vicious sentiment
that has gained prominence in recent years and which has
been introduced into some of the school books of our
country, that the Southern rebellion was not an act of treas-
on, but a "War between the states."
Our leaders were Lincoln, Grant, Sherman, Thomas, grand
old "Pap" Thomas, Sheridan, Logan and others. Led by
them we conquered treason in its most hideous form and,
led by men who had received their education at our Na-
tional Military Academy at the expense of this government
and who had sworn eternal allegiance to the same govern-
ment that had supported them, they were defeated in dissolv-
ing a united government. Robert E. Lee never held as
much as the office of Road Supervisor in his native state. All
of his distinction before the war of the rebellion came to him
from the government of the United States and his only fame
today rests in his brilliant efforts to overthrow the same
government that educated him, supported him and honored
him. What is the real difference, if any, between such con-
duct and the viper which "Stings the hand that has warmed
it?" General Lee has been accredited with purity of purpose
and sincerity. If such is the fact, why did he in March, 1861,
write a letter to his son in svhich he denounced secession as
anarchy. His partisans today should explain why Robert E.
Lee deliberately adopted a course which he had declared was
anarchy.
I think better of Lee than I do of Davis, who in his
74
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE.
place in the United States senate did his best to encourage
discord and disunion and later on as the head of the seces-
sion and anarchy heresy, tolerated, if he did not instigate, the
horrible inhuman treatment of defenseless Union prisoners
who could hardly muster strength to step over their dead;
helpless prisoners who starved, rotted and perished from ex-
posure that was needless.
On Dec. 28, 1862, Davis made an appeal to the legislature
of Mississippi. Here is an extract: "You in Mississippi
know but little of the savage manner in which war is waged
by your barbarous enemies. Our enemies are a traditionless
and homeless race. From the time of Cromwell to the pres
ent moment, they have been disturbers of the peace of the
world. Gathered together by Cromwell from the bogs and
fens of Ireland and England, they began by disturbing the
peace of their own country. They disturbed Holland, to
which they fled, and they disturbed England on their return.
They persecuted Catholics in England and hung Quakers and
witches in America. I had intended to tight our battles on
the field of this enemy instead of suffering him to fight them
on ours. Failure to do this was not my will, but the power
of the enemy who had at their command all the accumulated
wealth and military stores that had been laid up for seventy
years They had grown rich from the taxes wrung from
you."
In view of the fact of the secession leaders having managed
to get possession of almost every U. S. fort and arsenal and
of their leaving the U. S. treasury empty before they fired on
the stars and stripes that waved over Fort Sumpter, as a
sample of hypocritical lying, the foregoing has no superior.
His attempt to revile the ancestry of the men who saved the
75
HONOR TO WHOM HONOR IS DUE.
Union needs no comment. Yet Davis lived after the war,
trying to pose as a martyr of the "lost cause;" he lived on to
whine and complain, refnsing to recognize the great forbear-
ance of a united country that could even tolerate his presence.
In striking contrast with the foregoing appeal made by
Jefferson Davis, I will quote from Abrahara Lincoln's words
to the people, wliom he dearly loved:
"With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firm-
ness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive
on to finish the work we are in: to bind up the nation's
wounds, to care for him who has borne the battle and for his
widow and his orphans; to do all of which may achieve and
cherish a lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations."
I protest against the erection of monuments to Lee and
Davis, because they are not proper object lessons to teach fu-
ture generations loyalty to the flag and to our country. I
would not raise a single note of discord in these times of peace,
but I appeal to all true Americans who desire to cherish and
perpetuate true patriotism, that they make proper distinction
between our leader (Abraham Lincoln) of the Union cause
and the leaders of an unholy cause, who seldom mentioned
the name of Lincoln but to revile him as a brute, a gorilla
and a monster.
In memory of the thousands who in their youth gave up
their lives for the integrity and unity and greatness of this
country, and whose blessings are yours today, make distinc-
tion between the leaders of the men who preserved this Union
and the leaders of secession, who did their very best to des-
troy it!
76
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